CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the organisations that have made representations to her about the commercial effect on their business of the BBC's activities.

Kim Howells: A number of organisations have made representations, as part of the consultation process on new BBC public services and on an ad hoc basis, including broadcasters, educational software publishers, independent producers and platform operators.

BBC Freeview

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many advertisements for Freeview have been broadcast on (a) BBC television and (b) BBC radio; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The BBC has not broadcast any advertisements for Freeview on either its radio or television services, but between 4 November and 20 November, it broadcast 70 information trails about its digital services on BBC One and BBC Two and around 170 on its five national radio networks. These trails inform viewers that the BBC's digital services can be accessed on Freeview, but also make clear that they are available on the digital satellite and digital cable platforms.

Correspondence

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she will reply to letters from Mr. Borthwick of Workington and the hon. Member for Workington to the Department of 13 April, 12 June, 26 July and 20 September.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Arts (Baroness Blackstone) has today replied to the letter of 26 July from the hon. Member for Workington which covered those of 13 April and 12 June from his constituent Mr Borthwick.
	I apologise for the delay in the handling of correspondence both from Mr. Borthwick and the hon. Member for Workington. My Department aims to reply to Members' correspondence and correspondence from the public within 18 working days of receipt. I regret that this did not happen here.

Creative Industries

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of her Department's involvement in facilitating and promoting competitiveness of British creative industries (a) at home and (b) abroad; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Department is working in partnership with other Government Departments and representatives of the creative industries to enhance their economic performance at home and overseas. More recent figures from official sources suggest that in 2000 the creative industries:
	generated revenues of £76.6 billion
	provided jobs for 1.95 million
	account for 7.9 per cent. of GDP

Film Council

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the objectives of the Film Council; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: When the Film Council was established in April 2000, it was set 13 goals for film which had been identified in the course of the Film Policy Review (1998). These goals have formed the basis of the funding agreement with my Department. Progress against the funding agreement is reviewed regularly.

Lottery

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of (a) the effectiveness of her Department's transfer of functions from the Director General of the Office for National Lottery to the National Lottery Commission and (b) the relationship between her Department and the National Lottery Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The National Lottery Act 1998 made provision for the replacement of the office of Director General of the National Lottery by the National Lottery Commission; and I am satisfied that Parliament made the right decision in approving this change. Schedule 1 to the 1998 Act set out the transitional arrangements for the transfer of functions, which worked as intended. The relationship between the commission and the Department is as it should be. However, we published earlier this year a consultation document reviewing the way in which the National Lottery is now licensed and regulated, and seeking views on options for further change. We will announce our conclusions in due course.

Sports Funding

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list Sport England's Exchequer and Lottery-funded programmes and initiatives.

Richard Caborn: Sport England's current programmes are as follows:
	Space for Sport and Arts
	New Opportunities Fund PE and Sport
	Club Development—not started
	Community Capital Fund
	Governing Bodies Facilities strategies
	Quest
	Benchmarking
	PPP and PFI
	Best Value
	Talent camps
	Clubmark
	Sporting Champions
	Sports Sponsorship Advisory Service
	Sports Gateway
	Sport England Direct
	Sports Aid
	Governing Bodies Awards
	English Institute of Sport Services
	Sports Science/Medicine
	World Class programmes
	Commonwealth Games
	National Centres
	English Institute of Sport facilities funding and development
	Active Communities Development Fund
	Sport Action Zones
	Awards for All
	Positive Futures
	Active Communities Projects
	Active Communities Infrastructure Posts -regional
	British Heart Foundation,
	National Association of Clubs for Young People
	Kids Club Network
	Local Exercise Action Pilots (LEAP)
	Football Foundation
	National Strategy for Education and Training
	Step Into Sport
	Volunteer Investment Programme (VIP)
	Coaching Development
	National Association for Sports Development—funding and liaison
	National Sports Development Seminar— funding and liaison
	Sport Development Professionals Regional Induction initiative
	Sport Development Professionals Supporting Infrastructure— Regional Training Units
	Running Sport
	Active Sports
	Child Protection in Sport Unit
	School Sport Coordinators
	Sportsmark and Activemark
	Sportsearch
	Panathlon
	Education infrastructure and Sport Alliances
	Coaching for teachers
	Adults other than Teachers
	Playing Fields and Green Spaces
	Statutory Planning
	Strategic Planning—Facility Planning Model
	Safer Sports Ground
	National projects
	Sportsmatch
	CCPR Funding
	Football Youth Development
	As part of its modernisation process, Sport England is reviewing all the programmes that it funds based on its new business strategy; it expects the review to be completed by the end of the year.

Sustainability Strategy

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the sustainability strategy is for her Department; and if she will make a statement on how it has changed since the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Kim Howells: As part of our long-term objective to maximise the Department's contribution to the Government's agenda on sustainable development and regeneration policy, we promised last April at a conference for our sectors held at the Science Museum to produce a sustainable development strategy. We are on target to fulfil this obligation.
	Since the World Summit, my Department has identified among its strategic priorities; the aim of enhancing access to a fuller cultural and sporting life of children and young people, giving them the opportunity to develop their talents to the full; and of improving the productivity of the tourism, creative and leisure industries. These are in line with one of the main programmes for activity agreed at the World Summit, that of eradicating poverty.

Travel Budget

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total budget is for (a) her Department and (b) its agencies for official travelling in 2002–03.

Kim Howells: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The DCMS budget for official travelling and subsistence for 2002–03 is £934,894. In addition, the budget for the Royal Parks Agency is £37,700.

Works of Art (Restitution)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress concerning the restitution of works of art looted by the Nazis.

Kim Howells: The Spoliation Advisory Panel received two new claims this year, following its Report on the first claim which was published in January 2001. The Panel met in October 2002 to consider these new claims and will meet again in early 2003 to continue its discussions, when other claims which have been intimated may also be considered.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Aid (Poorest Countries)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to press other EU countries to (a) apply the EU Procurement Directive regarding tied aid and (b) increase the proportion of aid given to the poorest countries.

Clare Short: We support the Commission's efforts to ensure that member states' aid programmes comply with Community law. The Commission has recently presented to the Council of Ministers a Communication on Untying which reiterates member states' obligation to apply the Procurement Directives to their bilateral programmes.
	Poverty elimination is the stated objective of EU development programmes. Nine of the fifteen member states provide more than 70 per cent. of their aid to the poorest countries. The record for Commission-managed aid is much less poverty focused and is 45 per cent. We continue to press in the Council and in annual budget discussions with the European Parliament for higher priority to be given to poor countries in allocating EC development funds.

Developing Countries

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she is taking to help Governments in poorer countries in their efforts to provide targeted support and protection for local producers.

Clare Short: My Department provides support to Governments of developing countries that are designed to meet the different circumstances and needs of a broad range of producers living in those countries. These include efforts to make Government policy more responsive to the demands of poor producers, activities to strengthen the operation of local institutions, interventions designed to improve food security as well as support designed to lead to improved delivery of rural goods and services. We also provide support to a range of international organisations that work closely with Governments in developing countries and seeks to enhance the effectiveness of any interventions agreed between these parties.

East Timor

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had with (a) the Government of Indonesia, (b) the Government of East Timor and (c) the UNHCR to ensure the return of children being held illegally in West Java to their families in East Timor;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the number of East Timorese children being held illegally in West Java; and what assessment her Department has made of the number of children that have been returned to their families in East Timor.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	The violence and confusion surrounding the 1999 referendum on East Timor's status and the subsequent Indonesian withdrawal led to some children becoming separated from their families. There are no reliable figures for the number of children that were separated but the UNHCR estimates around 800 cases remain unresolved, mostly in West Timor.
	We are in regular contact with the UN Mission in East Timor and UNHCR on this sensitive issue, most recently, on 4 October 2002. We have also encouraged the Governments of Indonesia and East Timor to find a solution to this problem.

Ethiopia

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Prime Minister and (b) international organizations about providing debt relief to Ethiopia.

Clare Short: We support international efforts to reduce Ethiopia's debt burden. Ethiopia qualified for interim debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) at Decision Point (DP) in November 2001. Irrevocable relief will be provided at HIPC Completion Point, which is expected within the next two years. Savings resulting from HIPC assistance will amount to around US$ 96 million per year on average until 2021. Ethiopia owes the UK £15.4 million. Provided Ethiopia remains on track with its programme of economic reform, Ethiopia will not be required to make any further payments on its debt to the UK after DP.

Ethiopia

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what long term plans she has to provide Ethiopia with development aid to help that country develop (a) irrigation system and (b) food storage facilities; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: An important component of our long-term development assistance to Ethiopia is work on improving food security. As one aspect of their food security strategy the Government of Ethiopia plans to increase access to irrigation and so help boost agricultural productivity. DFID is supporting the establishment of the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office in Addis Ababa, which in coordination with Sudan and Egypt, plans to improve use of Nile waters for a range of users including irrigation. We have funded improvements in the food storage facilities of the Ethiopian Food Security Reserve Administration, which now has expanded capacity and a more efficient stock management regime. The EFSRA plays a vital role in ensuring the stability of food supplies to organisations distributing food relief to those in need.

Good Governance

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria her Department employs in assuring good governance in other countries.

Clare Short: Our strategy to support developing and transitional countries build the institutions of an effective, inclusive, modern state is outlined in the document XMaking Government Work for Poor People", which was published in September 2001 and placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	We encourage poor countries to take the lead in improving the quality of governance in developing countries. To this end we have helped the development of the governance assessments that will form part of the peer reviews of African countries in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). We are also working with the World Bank and other international development agencies to ensure that governance issues are properly reflected in poverty reduction strategies beingprepared for decisions on debt relief and for World Bank and IMF lending
	These objectives and indicators are included in DFID's Service Delivery Agreement of its Public Service Agreement.

Sustainability Strategy

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the sustainability strategy is for her Department; and how it has changed since the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 15 October 2002, Official Report, column 651W.
	My Department does not have a free-standing sustainability strategy. We focus on improving the effectiveness of the international development effort to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the goal of ensuring environmental sustainability. This continues to be our focus following the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
	My Department works to promote economic growth that is equitable and environmentally sustainable, and works with developing countries to ensure that their poverty reduction strategies reflect the need to manage environmental resources sustainably. The World Summit gave an impetus to this work by integrating sustainability into the international agenda agreed at the Doha meeting of the World Trade Organisation and the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development.

TRANSPORT

No-fly Zone (Scotland)

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what process is required to introduce a no-fly zone of (a) commercial and (b) military flights over towns and cities in Scotland;
	(2)  if he will assess the no-fly zone status of commercial and military flights over areas in Scotland that contain petro-chemical plants;
	(3)  what plans there are to review the no-fly zone status for both commercial and military flights over towns in Scotland;
	(4)  what (a) commercial and (b) military no-fly zones have been in operation in Scotland since (i) January 2001 and (ii) 11 September 2001; and what locations have been covered.

John Spellar: Following a request from the appropriate Government Department or, in some cases, the local police force, the Civil Aviation Authority drafts a Statutory Instrument (SI). This is ratified by the Department for Transport before being notified to the entire aviation community by means of a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The SI, which may be temporary or permanent in effect, is binding on civil aircraft only, but military aircraft will normally comply. This process applies to all UK airspace.
	Towns and cities or petro-chemical plants do not have specific 'no-fly zones' unless already in the vicinity of restricted airspace. The Rules of the Air Regulations 1996 prohibit flying by civil aircraft below a height 1,500 feet above any town or city (unless landing or taking off). Military regulations in Volume 3, Part 1 (UK Military Low Flying System) of the UK Military Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) introduce avoidance criteria for military aircraft.
	From January 2001 to 10 September 2001 there was no change to airspace restrictions in Scottish airspace currently published as permanent in the UK Air Navigation Order (ANO) and Aeronautical Information (AIP). These include the Highlands Restricted Area (HRA) and sites such as Dounreay, Faslane, Rosyth and Chapelcross.
	From September 2001 the following temporary airspace restrictions have been in operation for the periods and reasons shown:
	11 September to 12 September 2001, Entire Scottish Flight Information Region, in response to events of 11 September.
	11 September to 12 September 2001, Entire Scottish Upper Flight Information Region, in response to events of 11 September.
	11 September 2001 to 12 September 2001, Hebrides Upper Airspace Control Area, in response to events of 11 September.
	22 February 2002 to 24 February 2002, Perth—Scottish Labour Party Conference.
	13 September 2002 to 14 September 2002, RAF Leuchars—Air Show.
	In addition, temporary restrictions were imposed around Hunterston and Torness Nuclear Power Stations from 3 November 2001, which were made permanent as from 5 September 2002.
	The Government continue to monitor the number and extent of no-fly zones across the UK.

Portland Helicopter Rescue Operation

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the planned consolidation of the Portland sea helicopter rescue operation to Lee-on-Solent.

David Jamieson: No decision has yet been made on the consolidation (relocation) of the Portland area helicopter to Lee-on-Solent.

Portland Helicopter Rescue Operation

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made regarding the changes to recovery times if the possible consolidation of the Portland sea helicopter rescue operation to Lee-on-Solent goes ahead.

David Jamieson: A risk assessment has been made on the effect of relocating the Portland area helicopter to Lee-on-Solent which indicates that the national criteria for UK Search and Rescue helicopters will continue to be met both in terms of response and recovery times.

Portland Helicopter Rescue Operation

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow a private company to purchase and lease back to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency the hangar for the Portland Sea helicopter rescue operation.

David Jamieson: A range of options for the future of the hanger at Portland are being considered by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) appropriate to operational requirements for now and in the future.

Rescue Times

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the risk to lives caused by the changes to a 60 minute limit on rescue times in medium to high risk areas.

David Jamieson: The national criteria for UK Search and Rescue helicopters, which includes the response to incidents in medium to high risk areas was established by the UK Search and Rescue Operators Group under the aegis of the UK Search and Rescue Strategic Committee and implemented in April this year following the endorsement of Ministers. The operators group has experienced representatives from all UK Search and Rescue providers including the Department for Transport (DfT), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Ministry of Defence (MOD), Home Office, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Police, Fire, Ambulance and Mountain Rescue, together with the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue, teams in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The group considered an operational analysis of the risk assessment which introduced the national criteria.

Roadworks

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to reduce the time taken by utility companies to complete roadworks; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: We are taking a range of measures to deal with this problem.
	Regulations under section 74 of the New Road and Street Works Act came into force in April 2001. These allow highway authorities to charge utilities up to £2000 a day for works which overrun an agreed deadline. Over 120 authorities in England are using these powers which should encourage utilities to carry out their works more quickly and reduce disruption. We have appointed consultants (Halcrow) to monitor the effectiveness of these powers.
	Further Xlane rental" powers under the Act are also being tested in pilot schemes. These allow authorities to charge utility companies Xlane rental" charges of up to £750 for each of their works, regardless of whether these overrun or not. These pilots are running in Middlesbrough and Camden and Halcrow are also monitoring their results in order to decide whether these powers should be applied throughout England.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Planning

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the workings and implementation of the sections of PPG8 which relate to telecommunications operators consulting with the public; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will take measures to ensure that the sections of PPG8 which relate to telecommunications operators consulting with the public are consistently implemented; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	In August 2001 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister introduced improved planning arrangements for telecommunications development. These included improved requirements for consulting local people, backed by tougher guidance in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8. The mobile phone network operators also published last year their Ten Commitments to best siting practice for new development. A key objective is to improve dialogue and consultation with local communities in developing mobile phone networks.
	A Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development, produced jointly by representatives of central and local government and the mobile phone industry, was published on 11 November 2002. Copies of which can be found in the House Library. It builds on Government guidance and operators' commitments and provides clear and practical advice to ensure the delivery of significantly better and more effective communication and consultation between operators, local authorities and local people. Standardised practice will promote greater consistency of approach and aid the transparency of the process for all concerned.
	The Federation of the electronics industry has commissioned a review by Deloitte and Touche to thoroughly assess the implementation of the ten commitments including the commitment related to improved consultation with local communities. The review has not yet been completed, but we expect to see the results by the end of 2002.

Abandoned Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abandoned cars each local authority in England and Wales stated in their submissions to the Municipal Waste Survey in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: As indicated in the reply on 22 October 2002, Official Report, column 176W, to the hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce), the question on abandoned vehicles was asked for the first time in the 2000–01 Municipal Waste Management Survey. Figures from the survey show that 288 local authorities in England and Wales, out of a total of 376, responded to the number of abandoned vehicles question. The authorities and the numbers of abandoned vehicles removed and destroyed reported are listed as follows:
	
		
			 Authority No. of vehicles 
		
		
			 Adur 793 
			 Alnwick 54 
			 Amber Valley 147 
			 Arun 590 
			 Ashford 612 
			 Aylesbury Vale 507 
			 Babergh 391 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,761 
			 Barnet 3,287 
			 Barnsley 248 
			 Basildon 1,529 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 780 
			 Bassetlaw 92 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 796 
			 Bedford 876 
			 Bexley 1,356 
			 Birmingham 5,466 
			 Blaby 113 
			 Blaenau Gwent 960 
			 Blyth Valley 110 
			 Bolsover 249 
			 Boston 65 
			 Bournemouth 878 
			 Bracknell Forest 707 
			 Bradford 2,600 
			 Braintree 554 
			 Breckland 238 
			 Brent 3,471 
			 Brentwood 400 
			 Bridgnorth 37 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,000 
			 Bromley 3,895 
			 Bromsgrove 119 
			 Broxbourne 1,393 
			 Broxtowe 171 
			 Caerphilly 1,800 
			 Calderdale 441 
			 Cambridge 261 
			 Camden 1,629 
			 Cannock Chase 30 
			 Canterbury 809 
			 Caradon 108 
			 Carmarthenshire 120 
			 Carrick 174 
			 Castle Point 450 
			 Ceredigion 150 
			 Charnwood 153 
			 Chelmsford 800 
			 Chesterfield 45 
			 Chester-le-Street 18 
			 Chichester 600 
			 Chiltern 195 
			 Christchurch 73 
			 City of Bristol 2,590 
			 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 717 
			 City of London 0 
			 Colchester 319 
			 Conwy 250 
			 Corby 504 
			 Cotswold 67 
			 County of Herefordshire 368 
			 Craven 0 
			 Crawley 1,145 
			 Croydon 2,878 
			 Dacorum 1,150 
			 Darlington 98 
			 Dartford 483 
			 Daventry 388 
			 Derby 579 
			 Derbyshire Dales 40 
			 Derwentside 15 
			 Doncaster 410 
			 Dover 469 
			 Dudley 234 
			 Durham City 39 
			 Ealing 3,754 
			 Easington 14 
			 East Cambridgeshire 330 
			 East Devon 288 
			 East Dorset 279 
			 East Hampshire 209 
			 East Hertfordshire 355 
			 East Lindsey 226 
			 East Northamptonshire 191 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 227 
			 East Staffordshire 164 
			 Eastbourne 631 
			 Eastleigh 200 
			 Enfield 4,711 
			 Epping Forest 1,838 
			 Epsom and Ewell 360 
			 Erewash 270 
			 Fenland 176 
			 Flintshire 100 
			 Forest Heath 145 
			 Forest of Dean 186 
			 Gateshead 149 
			 Gloucester 700 
			 Gosport 496 
			 Gravesham 884 
			 Great Yarmouth 255 
			 Greenwich 3,120 
			 Guildford 724 
			 Gwynedd 619 
			 Hackney 2,700 
			 Hambleton 96 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,430 
			 Harborough 550 
			 Haringey 6,500 
			 Harlow 1,240 
			 Harrogate 143 
			 Harrow 1,914 
			 Hart 256 
			 Hartlepool 55 
			 Hastings 1,100 
			 Havant 897 
			 Havering 1,250 
			 Hertsmere 534 
			 High Peak 87 
			 Hillingdon 2,286 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth 353 
			 Horsham 173 
			 Hounslow 2,247 
			 Ipswich 785 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 
			 Islington 2,619 
			 Kennet 54 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 195 
			 Kerrier 232 
			 Kettering 350 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 271 
			 Kingston upon Thames 739 
			 Kirklees 287 
			 Lambeth 3,308 
			 Leeds 877 
			 Leicester 1,416 
			 Lewes 470 
			 Lewisham 5,000 
			 Lichfield 271 
			 Lincoln 136 
			 Luton 2,403 
			 Maidstone 1,015 
			 Mansfield 650 
			 Medway 1,157 
			 Melton 30 
			 Mendip 250 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 482 
			 Merton 1,683 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 584 
			 Mid Devon 376 
			 Mid Suffolk 145 
			 Mid Sussex 347 
			 Mole Valley 621 
			 Monmouthshire 244 
			 New Forest 474 
			 Newark and Sherwood 289 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 150 
			 Newham 6,704 
			 Newport 789 
			 North Cornwall 266 
			 North Devon 33 
			 North Dorset 60 
			 North East Derbyshire 70 
			 North East Lincolnshire 267 
			 North Hertfordshire 332 
			 North Kesteven 101 
			 North Lincolnshire 135 
			 North Norfolk 66 
			 North Somerset 570 
			 North Tyneside 451 
			 North Warwickshire 133 
			 North West Leicestershire 267 
			 Northampton 1,682 
			 Norwich 351 
			 Nottingham 586 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 183 
			 Oadby and Wigston 58 
			 Oswestry 129 
			 Oxford 1,455 
			 Pembrokeshire 487 
			 Plymouth 1,779 
			 Poole 649 
			 Portsmouth 826 
			 Powys 606 
			 Purbeck 89 
			 Reading 1,090 
			 Redbridge 1,562 
			 Reigate and Banstead 718 
			 Restormel 266 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,201 
			 Richmondshire 9 
			 Rother 336 
			 Rotherham 150 
			 Runnymede 609 
			 Rushcliffe 181 
			 Rushmoor 375 
			 Rutland 100 
			 Ryedale 45 
			 Salisbury 354 
			 Sandwell 6,639 
			 Scarborough 543 
			 Sedgefield 80 
			 Sedgemoor 377 
			 Selby 120 
			 Sevenoaks 498 
			 Sheffield 100 
			 Shepway 733 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 86 
			 Slough 669 
			 Solihull 275 
			 South Bedfordshire 500 
			 South Cambridgeshire 100 
			 South Derbyshire 154 
			 South Gloucestershire 987 
			 South Kesteven 148 
			 South Norfolk 116 
			 South Northamptonshire 140 
			 South Oxfordshire 418 
			 South Shropshire 7 
			 South Somerset 356 
			 South Staffordshire 48 
			 South Tyneside 415 
			 Southampton 1,132 
			 Southend-on-Sea 1,132 
			 Southwark 1,934 
			 Spelthorne 596 
			 St. Albans 486 
			 St. Edmundsbury 760 
			 Stafford 37 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 26 
			 Stevenage 598 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 39 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 250 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 43 
			 Stroud 51 
			 Suffolk Coastal 165 
			 Sunderland 197 
			 Surrey Heath 226 
			 Sutton 1,651 
			 Swale 738 
			 Swindon 440 
			 Tamworth 60 
			 Tandridge 500 
			 Taunton Deane 248 
			 Teesdale 17 
			 Teignbridge 741 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1,332 
			 Tendring 835 
			 Test Valley 406 
			 Tewkesbury 115 
			 Thanet 950 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 264 
			 Three Rivers 351 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 557 
			 Torbay 354 
			 Torfaen 668 
			 Torridge 111 
			 Tunbridge Wells 688 
			 Tynedale 29 
			 Uttlesford 250 
			 Vale of White Horse 464 
			 Walsall 976 
			 Waltham Forest 2,716 
			 Wandsworth 2,571 
			 Warwick 137 
			 Watford 822 
			 Waveney 115 
			 Waverley 343 
			 Wealden 483 
			 Wear Valley 40 
			 Wellingborough 290 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 1,000 
			 West Berkshire 697 
			 West Dorset 232 
			 West Oxfordshire 290 
			 West Somerset 64 
			 West Wiltshire 113 
			 Westminster 496 
			 Weymouth and Portland 85 
			 Winchester 263 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 488 
			 Woking 352 
			 Wolverhampton 381 
			 Worcester 316 
			 Worthing 310 
			 Wrexham 231 
			 Wychavon 90 
			 Wycombe 1,155 
		
	
	A total of 238,000 abandoned vehicles were estimated for England and Wales in 2000–01, which includes an estimation for the non-responding authorities.

Agricultural Employees

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken by her Department to measure the number of agricultural employees per hectare on (a) organic farms and (b) non-organic farms within the United Kingdom.

Michael Meacher: Information is not currently available to enable such a comparison to be made. But additional information to be collected when the EC Farm Structure Survey is next run, in 2003, is expected to provide a basis for doing so.

Animal Diseases (EU Finances)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 19 November 2002, Official Report, column 40W, on animal diseases (EU Finances), what estimate she has made of the sums of money that would have been received in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England, had the application been lodged in time.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 26 November 2002
	Applications totalled some £5.5 million and covered UK TSE surveillance and Northern Ireland TB and Brucella, although not all of this would have been approved. No money would have been received in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland because receipts are held centrally. The Commission have now confirmed that it is not legally possible for payments to be made.

Arable Crops

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will state the gross value of non-food use of arable crops for the production of energy in 2001.

Michael Meacher: Information is not collected on the value of arable crops grown specifically for the production of energy. Figures are available which give an indication of the cultivated area of such crops. Oilseed rape, which can be used to produce biodiesel, is the only arable crop commonly grown for the production of energy. Most of the rape destined for biodiesel is grown on set-aside land and in 2001; there were approximately 38,000 hectares grown on set-aside. However, not all of this rape will have been used for biodiesel.

BABFO

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with BABFO, the trade association for the liquid biofuels industry, on what research and development work is required to drive this new industry forward.

Michael Meacher: The Department has held a number of discussions with BABFO on research and development work. The views of industry, including BABFO, are taken into account when research and development is commissioned and will be particularly helpful when the Department considers future research needs as part of the planned review of the bio-energy programme in early 2003.

Bat Colonies (Rabies)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been carried out on the likelihood of rabies affecting bat colonies.

Elliot Morley: For the last 15 years Defra has undertaken a survey for the rabies virus in bats found dead or ill. About 200 bats a year have been examined and the rabies related virus, European Bat Lyssavirus, has been found in only two Daubenton's bats.
	In 2003, when bats have stopped hibernating, we intend to increase our surveillance and visit bat roosts and take blood samples from live bats for testing for European Bat Lyssavirus.

Biomass

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if regional funds have been made available in Yorkshire following the insolvency of the ARBRE biomass power station.

Michael Meacher: I understand that Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and Humber, has been actively considering the future of the ARBRE biomass power station with the Renewable Energy Development and Deployment Team at the Department of Trade and Industry and the Energy and Transport Directorate of the European Commission. Yorkshire Forward is examining potential and appropriate funding opportunities while discussions with possible future operators continue.

Biomass

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations her Department has received concerning research into biomass; and what assessment she has made of the value for money of the research funded to date.

Michael Meacher: The Department receives regular representations on research through meetings, correspondence and applications from industry for LINK research funding. All the Department's agricultural research programmes are subject to formal evaluation on a four-year cycle. The bio-energy programme was last reviewed in 1999, and will be reviewed again in early 2003. At the 1999 review, the value for money of the five programme areas was assessed by external assessors. One programme area was assessed as excellent value for money, three were assessed as good, and one could not be assessed because of the early stage of work at the time. The programme is also subject to on-going evaluation by all Government funders under the Interdepartmental Group on Energy Crop Research, which is chaired by this Department.

Biomass

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the findings of research undertaken by the Government into biomass.

Michael Meacher: The purpose of the Department's biomass research and development programme is to provide industry with the basic knowledge to achieve an increase in crop yields, with these higher yielding crops ideally being protected using host resistance and biological techniques rather than conventional pesticides. Research has established that miscanthus is the highest yielding biomass crop in the UK. An industry-supported commercial breeding programme has been set up for short rotation coppice willow. This includes the use of varieties to control fungal diseases and pests. Studies have identified and quantified the environmental impact of bio-energy cropping, including the potential for soil carbon sequestration and the effect on water resources.

BSE

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the welfare of those sheep inoculated intracerebrally with cattle BSE brain homogenate; and what measures are in place to ensure minimal suffering by those animals.

Elliot Morley: The use of animals in scientific procedures is regulated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which is widely viewed as the most rigorous piece of legislation of its type in the world. It puts into effect, and in some ways exceeds, European Union Directive 86/609/EEC (regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes) and offers a high level of protection to animals while recognising the need to use animals in medical research, the development of new medicines and scientific testing.
	Under the 1986 Act, both personal and project licences are required. These ensure that those doing the work are qualified and suitable; that alternatives to animals are used wherever possible; that the number of animals used is minimised; and that suffering or other harmful effects experienced by the animals have been weighed against the potential benefits (to humans or animals). In addition work can only be carried out at designated establishments which meet high standards and which have suitable veterinary and animal welfare personnel.
	The sheep inoculated intracerebrally with cattle BSE brain homogenate at the Institute for Animal Health were no exception to the above legislation. All animals were sedated during intracerebral injection of cattle brain material. Inoculated animals were maintained under exceptionally high standards of animal husbandry practice and their health and welfare conditions continually monitored by the highly trained staff at the Institute for Animal Health. Any animal showing definite signs of clinical disease was euthanased immediately, in order to minimise any suffering.

Cetaceans

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent scientific advice on cetacean bycatch she has received; and if she will raise this advice at the forthcoming Council of Fisheries Ministers.

Elliot Morley: The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) is continuing to advise this Department on the levels of cetacean bycatch in the fisheries on which it observes, and on mitigation measures. SMRU will shortly be restarting trials in the south west bass fishery to establish whether suitably modified separator trawls can reduce the bycatch of small cetaceans. I have already drawn this work to the attention of Commissioner Fischler and the French Government. I will share the full results with them and other EU Ministers when the results are available.

Cloned Animals

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessors have spent on research into the possible use of cloned animals in agriculture.

Elliot Morley: Research to the value of £2.22 million was funded by the Department at Roslin Institute between 1990 and 1999 to understand the causes of Large Offspring Syndrome, a welfare problem in cattle and sheep bred using in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer. The technology that led to cloning by nuclear transfer resulted from these studies. Research aimed at improving the efficiency of livestock cloning has not been supported by the Department since 1999, although the studies on Large Offspring Syndrome have continued and have identified ways by which the problem can be avoided.

Cloned Animals

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with whom she has had discussions, and from whom she has received representations, in respect of the possible use of cloned animals in agriculture.

Elliot Morley: While there have been no formal discussions and no direct representations received on the use of cloned livestock, the Government have sought advice on the welfare implications of cloning farm animals from the independent Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC). FAWC's 1998 report made a number of recommendations, and the Government's response to it can be found on Defra's website (http//defraweb/animalh/welfare/farmed/cloning-resp.htm). In addition, the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) published a report in September this year on how well current and likely future questions about animals and biotechnology, including cloning, could be answered by the current regulatory and advisory machinery. The Government are currently considering the recommendations in the AEBC report and will respond shortly.

Cloned Animals

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to prevent the use in the UK of cloned animals for agricultural purposes; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: There is legislation in place to protect farm livestock from any welfare concerns arising from both natural and artificial breeding procedures. Consideration is also being given to whether the misuse of biotechnology in animal breeding should be included in the proposed Animal Welfare Bill.

CO2

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the CO2 emissions from the aviation sector in each year since 1990; and what the projected figures are for each year to 2010.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 20 November 2002
	The UK greenhouse gas inventory and the corresponding projections distinguish between domestic aviation (flights within the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and international aviation (emissions from fuel loaded within this area onto flights with destinations outside it). The table shows the most recent emissions inventory data on carbon dioxide emissions for these two categories from 1990 to 2000, expressed as thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide (ktCO2) per year.
	
		
			 Year Domestic International Total 
		
		
			 1990 2,160 14,791 16,951 
			 1991 2,119 14,570 16,689 
			 1992 2,222 16,121 18,343 
			 1993 2,281 17,241 19,522 
			 1994 2,325 17,856 20,181 
			 1995 2,449 19,012 21,461 
			 1996 2,552 20,238 22,790 
			 1997 2,640 21,552 24,192 
			 1998 2,765 24,122 26,887 
			 1999 2,827 26,424 29,251 
			 2000 2,867 28,544 31,411 
		
	
	Projections on the same basis as the inventory data are available at five yearly intervals from the model of the UK energy economy maintained by the Department of Trade and Industry. This model suggests that, on central assumptions, carbon dioxide emissions from domestic aviation will be 3177 and 3483 kt CO2 per year in 2005 and 2010 respectively, and corresponding projections for international aviation emissions are 31533 and 37583 ktCO2 per year. The projected total emissions are 34710 and 41066 kT CO2 per year in 2005 and 2010 respectively.

Complaints

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints were received against her Department in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what proportion were investigated and concluded in (i) under 14 days, (ii) 15 days to four weeks, (iii) 29 days to eight weeks, (iv) 57 days to 12 weeks and (v) 12 weeks or more.

Alun Michael: 15 complaints about standards of service were made to the Department's Complaint Adjudicator during the 2001–02 financial year, and five have so far been made during 2002–03. There is no central statistical record of less formal complaints.
	Defra aims to investigate service standard complaints within 15 working days wherever possible. However, due to the complexity of some cases it was not feasible to investigate them fully within that time. In all such cases, a holding reply was sent explaining the reasons for the delay and when the complainant could expect a full response.
	The length of time taken to investigate and conclude the complaints was as follows:
	
		
			 Year Under 14 days 15 days to four weeks 29 days to eight weeks 57 days to 12 weeks 12 weeks or more Total complaints 
		
		
			 2001–02 0 4 5 5 1 15 
			 2002–03 0 1 4 0 0 5

Correspondence

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North -East Hampshire of 10 May regarding Mr. Lloyd, a constituent.

Alun Michael: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, replied on 25 November.

Deer (Forestry Damage)

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the economic damage caused by the deer population to forestry.

Elliot Morley: The Forestry Commission has not recently commissioned any work on the economic implications of deer. It has however undertaken various related studies, such as an assessment of wildlife damage in forests and a review of damage by mammals in north temperate forests.

Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the adequacy of (a) controls and (b) the enforcement regime relating to drinking water from private suppliers.

Elliot Morley: Drinking water quality standards of private water supplies and requirements for sampling and analysis of supplies are set out in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991. The 1998 Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) introduced some new and some revised standards for drinking water quality. My Department will be consulting next year on draft proposals to implement the new and revised standards for the purposes of private water supplies.
	Local authorities are responsible for monitoring at the frequencies set out in the Regulations and, where necessary, enforcement of regulatory standards. Local authorities have powers in primary legislation to serve formal notice, requiring specified remedial action where a private supply is unwholesome, or is insufficient for the domestic purposes of people living in a house. Where a private supply is, or may become, so polluted that it is prejudicial to health, an authority may also apply to the court for an order for steps be taken to prevent injury or danger to health.

Drinking Water

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of domestic customers it is estimated rely on lead pipes for connections to company supplies of drinking water.

Elliot Morley: In England and Wales, there are an estimated 21 million properties. Information provided by water companies recently indicates an estimated total of some 7.5 million lead communication pipes connecting properties to water mains.

Food (Local Production)

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of UK food was locally produced in the last 12 months; and what the projection is for the next (a) five and (b) 10 years.

Elliot Morley: This information is not available. The local food sector is highly diverse and any attempt to assess its size and impact is very difficult. In addition, as the Policy Commission on the Future of Food and Farming has recognised, there is no commonly accepted definition of locally produced food.

Future of Farming and Food Report

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the Report on the Future of Farming and Food.

Elliot Morley: The Government have already made significant progress delivering action identified in the Policy Commission's Report. A new strategy for sustainable farming and food in England will be published shortly. This will include a formal response to each of the Policy Commission's recommendations.
	An Implementation Group of independent members, chaired by former Policy Commission chair Sir Don Curry, will oversee delivery of the new strategy.

Illegal Imports

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many illegal imports by type in passenger baggage and freight were identified at Heathrow (a) from 1 April 2001 to 16 September 2002 and (b) since 16 September.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 21 November 2002
	The seizures of illegal imports through Heathrow airport as notified to the Illegal Animal Products Seizures database are as follows:
	
		
			   1 April 2001 to 15 September 2002  16 September 2002 to 19 November 2002  
			  Number of seizures Weight (kgs) Number of seizures Weight (kgs) 
		
		
			 Commercial 
			 Meat 19 1,916 1 165 
			 Fish 35 1,496 10 657 
			 Dairy 15 2,459 1 11 
			 Multiple 29 3,333 5 714 
			  
			 Personal 
			 Meat 493 2,762 167 821 
			 Fish 170 1,932 84 653 
			 Dairy 51 319 60 355 
			 Multiple 226 4,645 114 1,485

Kerbside Recycling

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities which undertook kerbside recycling schemes have carried out a continuous scheme for longer than six months.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 25 November 2002
	We do not have information on how long schemes have been in operation. This information is not held centrally.

Kyoto Agreement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the extent to which emissions from the aviation sector are covered by the Kyoto agreement.

Michael Meacher: The Kyoto Protocol when it comes into effect will cover emissions from domestic aviation for all Parties who ratify the Protocol, although only Annex I Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (developed countries) have emission limitation or reduction targets. Emissions from international aviation are not included in the targets that Annex I countries who have ratified the Kyoto Protocol will have to meet. Article 2.2 of the Protocol requests Annex I Parties to limit or reduce emissions from international aviation, working through the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Liquid Biofuels

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of funds spent on researching fuel from farmland has been directed to liquid biofuels in the past five years.

Michael Meacher: With the exception of a small number of projects evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of using oilseed rape for biodiesel, Defra does not fund research and development work on liquid biofuels. Such research is largely covered by the programmes of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport. This Department does have programmes supporting the sustainable development of arable crops that are used for liquid biofuels, both biodiesel and bioethanol, and food. Over the past five years, such research amounted to £10 million for wheat and £4 million for oilseed rape out of total expenditure of £513 million for agricultural, food chain, agri-environmental and non-food research.

Paper Dyes

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of the paper industry on moderating the use of dyes in paper that render material unsuitable for recycling.

Michael Meacher: I am planning to have such discussions in the near future.

Pelagic Trawls

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which pelagic trawl fisheries in the Celtic Sea/Biscay/Channel area UK fishing vessels are active in; how many UK vessels are involved in each; and how many of these fisheries are subject to observer monitoring.

Elliot Morley: There are normally less than 10 UK vessels active in the pelagic trawl fisheries in the south western approaches, which may pursue any of the individual fisheries. Observers have been on vessels engaged in the anchovy, bass, herring, mackerel, pilchard, smelt and sprat fisheries.

Pelagic Trawls

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions she has had within the Council of Fisheries Ministers on an observer programme to monitor cetacean bycatch on pelagic trawl vessels in the Celtic Sea/Biscay/Channel area;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with her European counterparts about cetacean bycatch in pelagic trawl fisheries south and west of Britain; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The European Commission intends to bring forward proposals to reduce cetacean bycatch as part of its proposals for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Detailed discussions within the Council on the nature of such a strategy will follow publication of the Commission's proposals. I have written to Commissioner Fischler and to the French Minister pressing the need for action in this area and will continue to raise the issue with EU Ministers as opportunities arise to do so. We are already funding UK observer programmes in relation to cetacean bycatch on pelagic vessels.

Pelagic Trawls

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what funding her Department has allocated to trialling marine mammal excludes devices for pelagic trawls; and what alternative mitigation measures she is investigating;
	(2)  what measures she is undertaking to curb cetacean bycatch in pelagic trawl fisheries south and west of Britain.

Elliot Morley: This Department has allocated approximately £140,000 for trials into the use of exclusion devices to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in pelagic trawl fisheries. If these trials are not successful, we will look at other measures. I do not rule out any approach at this stage including arguing for restrictions on fishing, gear or seasonal closures.

Recycling

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has collated on recycling rates within the OECD for (a) glass, (b) plastic and (c) total waste stream in each year since 1990.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 20 November 2002
	The United Kingdom contributes statistics on waste arisings and recycling rates to the OECD every two years. These are published in XOECD Environmental Data". The most recent publication detailing these figures for OECD countries is 1999. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has contributed more recent figures but these have not yet been published. The relevant pages for glass are detailed in the table. Figures are not available for plastic or total waste recycled.
	
		Waste recycling rates, glass, 1990–97 -- Percentage of apparent consumption
		
			 Year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 
		
		
			 Canada — — 17 — — — — — 
			 Mexico — 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			 USA 20 20 22 22 23 24 — — 
			 Japan 48 52 56 — — — — — 
			 Korea 46 45 43 44 46 57 60 68 
			 Australia — — 36 — — 42 — — 
			 N. Zealand — — — — 36 — — — 
			 Austria 60 60 64 68 76 — — 88 
			 Belgium — 55 54 55 67 67 66 75 
			 Czech R. — — — — — — — — 
			 Denmark — 35 48 64 67 63 66 70 
			 Finland 36 31 44 46 50 50 63 62 
			 France — 41 44 46 48 50 50 52 
			 Germany 54 61 60 65 75 75 79 79 
			 Greece 15 22 20 27 29 35 29 26 
			 Hungary — — — — — — — — 
			 Iceland 70 75 75 — — — — — 
			 Ireland 23 23 27 29 31 39 46 38 
			 Italy — 53 53 52 54 53 53 34 
			 Luxembourg — — — — — — — — 
			 Netherlands 67 70 73 76 77 80 81 82 
			 Norway — 22 44 67 72 75 75 76 
			 Poland — — — — — — — — 
			 Portugal 27 29 31 29 32 42 42 44 
			 Spain 27 27 27 29 31 32 35 37 
			 Sweden — 44 58 59 56 61 72 76 
			 Switzerland 65 71 72 78 84 85 89 91 
			 Turkey 31 28 25 23 22 12 13 20 
			 UK 21 21 25 27 27 26 26 26 
			 Slovak R. — — — — — — — 40 
		
	
	Notes:
	Recycling is defined as reuse of material in a production process that diverts it from the waste stream, except for recycling within industrial plants and the reuse of material as fuel. The recyling rate is the ration of the quantity collected for recycling to the apparent consumption (domestic production + imports—exports).
	CAN Packaging glass only.
	MEX Recycling rates are based on amounts of waste generated and refer to municipal waste only.
	USA Data refer to the material diverted from the municipal waste stream; recycling rates are based on amounts of waste generated.
	JPN Returnable bottles are excluded; data refer to reuse of glass as cullet compared to national production of glass bottles.
	NZL Packaging glass only.
	FRA Amounts collected as a percentage of apparent consumption (FEVE)
	DEU 1990: Western Germany only; 1991 onwards: total Germany; recycling is based on total sales.
	NLD Glass collected in bottle banks as percentage of sale of products in disposable glass on domestic market.
	NOR Excludes considerable amounts of glass recovered before entering the waste stream (deposits/reuse of bottles).
	UKD Great Britain only; glass collected in bottle banks and from industrial sources (bottlers and packers) and flat glass.
	Source:
	XOECD Environmental Data, Compendium 1999", OECD 1999

Refrigerator Disposal

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much financial support each local authority will receive during the current financial year to help with the disposal of refrigerators.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 26 November 2002
	My written statement of 14 November related to the special grant report (No. 109) laid in Parliament that day (Col 2WS). The draft report, which is subject to the agreement of the House, details the proposed allocation to the relevant receiving authorities of the £40 million allocated this year to assist with the disposal of refrigerators. We propose that the amount payable to an authority will be allocated according to the formula used for county services within the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services SSA block.

Scrapie

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to ensure the selective breeding of scrapie-resistant sheep; and how much her Department has spent on research into scrapie in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: The national scrapie plan has been in operation since July 2001. The aim of the plan is to eradicate TSEs from sheep by breeding genetic resistance into the national flock. So far, over 260,000 sheep have been genotyped. In addition, 25,000 ewes have been genotyped in Wales through the Welsh ewe genotyping scheme.
	The table gives expenditure on research into sheep TSEs (covering both scrapie and BSE research). The figures include expenditure on the development of TSE diagnostic tests.
	
		Expenditure on development of TSE diagnostic tests
		
			  (£) 
		
		
			 1997 to 1998 3.7 
			 1998 to 1999 5.1 
			 1999 to 2000 6.9 
			 2000 to 2001 8.4 
			 2001 to 2002 10.4

Sellafield (Radiological Leaks)

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the radiological leaks from Sellafield; when they took place; and what and how much radioactive material was leaked to the environment.

Michael Meacher: The Environment Agency conducts monitoring of the local surface waters around the Sellafield site and springs of groundwater found on the Sellafield beach. I understand that, to date, the Agency has identified two sources which result in detectable levels of radioactivity off the Sellafield site, albeit at very low levels.
	These involved seepage of tritium from on-site burial trenches from the 1950s to the present day, resulting in off-site radioactivity levels of 119—353 Becquerels/litre; and seepage of technetium-99 from the B241 waste storage tanks from around 1978 to the present day, resulting in off-site radioactivity levels of <0.2 Becquerels /litre.
	The radiological and environmental impact of the leakage of low levels of tritium and technetium-99 is assessed by the Environment Agency to be trivial.

Sustainability Strategy

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the sustainability strategy is for her Department; and how it has changed since the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

Michael Meacher: The Defra sustainable development strategy, XFoundations For Our Future", was published in June 2002, it provides a framework for how Defra will develop policies and identifies a set of indicators which will be used to monitor Defra's progress. The strategy will be reviewed in June 2003 taking into account the outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Travel Budget

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total budget is of (a) her Department and (b) its agencies for official travelling in 2002–03.

Alun Michael: The total 2002–03 travel and subsistence budget for Defra and its executive agencies, is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			  
			 Total for Defra 16.193 
			 of which agencies 3.662

TSE Surveillance

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding has been allocated for TSE surveillance in 2003 in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

Elliot Morley: For 2003/2004, estimated funding allocated for TSE surveillance and associated costs in GB amounts to around £44 million. The testing programme is administered by Defra, in close consultation with the devolved administrations and FSA, so costs are not broken down by country. The estimated allocation of funding for TSE surveillance and associated costs in Northern Ireland is £3.5 million.

Water Supplies

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many domestic customers are reliant on water supplies from private water suppliers.

Elliot Morley: Local authorities in England and Wales are required to maintain public registers of private water supplies in their areas. On the basis of the information provided by local authorities, we estimate that about one per cent. of the population in England and Wales use water from private supplies.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Biological and Chemical Attacks

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries in the middle east have purchased from the UK in the last 12 months protective clothing to guard against biological and chemical attack.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	Such equipment may not be licensable, and since sales can fall through, even after a licence has been granted, the DTI does not hold records of such purchases.

Grants

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the grants funded by his Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; and if he will make a statement as to (a) the total of such funding in the last financial year, (b) the total number of awards and (c) their administrative costs.

Bill Rammell: The FCO funds grants for Education, the Environment, Human Resources and other projects. The total funding in 2001/02 was £58 million.
	The administration of grant programmes is carried out by a number of different units within the department to which a range of staff make a contribution. It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of these costs centrally.

Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Tibet.

Bill Rammell: We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet. We welcome, however, the releases this year of several Tibetan prisoners, including Ngawang Choepel, Chadrel Rinpoche, Jigme Zangpo and Ngawang Sangdrol. All of these were on the list of individual cases of concern that we have raised with the Chinese Government. We have also welcomed, along with EU partners, the recent visit of the Dalai Lama's representatives to China. We encourage both sides to continue to use dialogue to find a peaceful resolution to the Tibetan issue.

Tibet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the European Union to achieve the early appointment of a special co-ordinator in Tibet.

Bill Rammell: The EU discussed the appointment of a special representative for Tibetan issues in April. After careful consideration, and bearing in mind the US experience, the EU decided against such an appointment. The EU presidency informed the Dalai Lama's representative accordingly.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Contingencies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent review of civil contingencies procedures there has been.

Douglas Alexander: The Civil Contingencies Committee (CCC) has conducted a wide-ranging review of the United Kingdom's contingencies procedures and infrastructure. In conducting the review, the CCC worked systematically through Government Departments, the emergency services, local authorities and the devolved Administrations. The arrangements are revised and tested through exercises to encourage continual improvement of our response arrangements.
	Contingency plans for civil emergencies are reviewed by the departmental owners of those plans and exercises are carried out on a routine basis to test their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. This process is co-ordinated by a Cabinet Committee (DOP(IT)(R), chaired by the Home Secretary, with support from officials in the Cabinet Office.
	The Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) is currently co-ordinating a rewrite of the third edition of XDealing with Disaster", which is the core guidance document on planning for, responding to, and recovering from a major disruptive incident. The Government have also sponsored a review of emergency planning. The recommendations are being incorporated into the programme of work leading towards a civil contingencies Bill.

Firefighters' Pay

Paul Marsden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what advice his Department has given to the Fire Service's employers on pay increases for firefighters in the past 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: None.

PRIME MINISTER

Royal Prerogative (War Decisions)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals to make it a requirement for Parliament to be consulted prior to each exercise of the power under Royal Prerogative to take the country to war.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, North (Mr Allen) on 21 October 2002, Official Report, column 78W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Research Funding (Universities)

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to increase research funding for universities in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The draft Budget approved by the Executive prior to suspension contained an increase in line with inflation for university research funding. The final Budget proposals will be published in December. Until then I am not in a position to comment on the matter.

Crime Victims

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he has taken to help the victims of crime in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Government remain committed to improving access to justice for victims of crime in Northern Ireland. The recommendations of the Criminal Justice Review sets out specific recommendations which are currently being implemented.
	We have invested almost £2 million in Victim Support (Northern Ireland) and the establishment of court witness schemes in this financial year.

Belfast Agreement

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress the Government have made in implementing the Good Friday Agreement.

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Paul Murphy: Implementation for the agreement is well advanced. But progress now, including restoration of the institutions, can only happen if there is trust that all parties remain committed to fulfilling their obligations, including the commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means. If we can secure that we can complete implementation rapidly.

Criminal Justice Review

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the criminal justice review.

Des Browne: The Criminal Justice Review aims to create a more modern, effective, transparent and accountable criminal justice system for Northern Ireland. The Government intend to publish a revised Implementation Plan for the Review in early 2003. The revised plan will provide details of progress made against its 294 recommendations. Good progress is already being made in a number of areas, supported by the Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002. The revised plan represents another significant step towards the full implementation of the Belfast Agreement.

Devolved Institutions

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ensure that only those people and parties committed to exclusively peaceful methods may participate in the devolved institutions when they resume.

Paul Murphy: I do not believe restoration of the institutions would be possible on any other basis.

Devolved Institutions

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the prospects for restoration of devolved government.

Paul Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the response I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley).

Decommissioning

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by quantity and type the illegally held weapons and explosives decommissioned under the Good Friday Agreement.

Jane Kennedy: There have been three acts of decommissioning carried out by paramilitary organisations.
	; 1 homemade .22 caliber rifle; 1 sawn-off double-barrelled 12 gauge shotgun; 1 FN Browning 9 mm semi-automatic pistol; 1 FN 7.65 mm semi-automatic pistol; 31 12-gauge magnum 00 buckshot shotgun shells; 23 .38 caliber semi wad-cutter cartridges; 45 .556 caliber cartridges; 280 9 mm cartridges; 5 electrical detonators; 2 pipe bombs; 2 weapons stocks and 5 assorted magazines.
	The IRA have carried out two acts of decommissioning. On 23 October 2001 the Commission reported that they had witnessed an event which they regarded as significant in which the IRA had put a quantity of arms completely beyond use. The material in question included arms, ammunition and explosives. On 8 April 2002 the Commission again reported that the IRA had put a varied and substantial quantity of ammunition, arms and explosive material beyond use. When the task is completed an inventory of the arms will be provided to the British and Irish governments.

Decommissioning

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on timetables set for the completion of IRA decommissioning and disbandment.

Jane Kennedy: Following the suspension of the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland the IRA issued a statement suspending contact with the Independent International Commission for Decommissioning. During his visit to Northern Ireland on 17 October 2002, the Prime Minister stated categorically that Republicans have to make the commitment to exclusively peaceful means, real, total and permanent as should all paramilitary organisations.

Secondary School Admissions

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the reform of the secondary school admissions process.

Jane Kennedy: The recommendations of an independent Post Primary Review Body, chaired by Mr. Gerry Burns, were published for consultation in October 2001. The consultation, which was extensive, inclusive and transparent, ended on 28 June 2002 and a report on the responses was published on 8 October 2002. The responses indicated a widespread demand for change and an emerging consensus, including among political parties, for the ending of the transfer tests.
	I am determined to take the review forward and to continue to work towards the abolition of the transfer tests as soon as practical. No decisions have been taken about academic selection or new post-primary arrangements. In the responses to consultation a range of suggestions were made for future post-primary arrangements, including options involving academic selection, and Department of Education officials will be discussing these issues with key education partners and representatives of parents in the coming weeks. My aim is to develop a modern and fair education system which addresses the weaknesses of our current arrangements and enables all children to fulfil their potential.

Multi-party Talks

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress with the multi-party talks.

Paul Murphy: The two Governments and the political parties met last Thursday to discuss the key issues related to political advance, including how to implement the Belfast Agreement in full and how to address the difficulties caused by paramilitary activity. We plan a further meeting tomorrow.

Multi-party Talks

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what meetings he has had with other political parties on restoring powers to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Paul Murphy: In recent weeks I have held bilateral meetings with all the parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Last Thursday the two Governments met a number of the parties to discuss the way forward. We shall meet them again tomorrow.

Peace Plan

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the peace plan.

Paul Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Harris).

Minimum Income Guarantee

Kali Mountford: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners receive the minimum income guarantee in Northern Ireland.

Paul Murphy: 77,720 pensioners in Northern Ireland are receiving minimum income guarantee.

Organised Crime

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in combating organised crime.

Jane Kennedy: The Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) which I chair has a clear strategy in place to tackle organised criminal activity. This is laid out in the OCTF threat and strategy documents, which were published on 23 May 2002.
	Following on from the successes of the 2001–02 financial year when 57 criminal networks were subject to detailed law enforcement investigation and 43 had members arrested, the law enforcement agencies continue to score many notable successes against the organised criminals.
	For example, in May 2002, during a series of joint search and arrest operations, the Police and Inland Revenue successfully uncovered widespread misuse of tax certificates in the construction industry, estimated to cost the Exchequer in the region of £10 million. In this operation, four people were arrested.
	In October 2002 one man was arrested following the detection of two fuel laundering plants. In the same operation, 30,000 litres of fuel and equipment used in the laundering process were seized by Customs Officers, assisted by PSNI. There have been many such seizures.
	Also in October 2002 the police smashed a loyalist extortion racket in the construction industry. Three individuals, allegedly involved in obtaining money by the use of threats, were arrested in north Belfast.
	The Task Force recognises that public support for the work of the law enforcement agencies is an essential ingredient for overall success against organised criminals. In September this year an OCTF website was launched. This is an important development, which will open a Xshop window" for the OCTF and permit two way communications between the Task Force and the public. In October I hosted an OCTF awareness evening for the business community in Armagh and I plan to host a second awareness evening early in the new year in Ballymena.

Official Document Theft (Security Implications)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the security implications of the theft of documents from police and Government offices.

Paul Murphy: The Government take the break-in at Castlereagh and the alleged terrorist intelligence-gathering operation at Stormont very seriously.
	Sir John Chilcot has been asked to conduct a review of the national security implications of the break-in at Castlereagh. A progress report has been received from Sir John, but as you will understand, the nature of the material it contains means that it is not appropriate to make it public.
	A team from the Security Service is currently undertaking a review of security procedures in the Northern Ireland Office, and I look forward to reading their report. Progress on their recommendations may be made within weeks as improvements are identified, but the review cannot be concluded until after the related police investigations are concluded.

Community Policing

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the role of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in community policing.

Jane Kennedy: It is the policy of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to promote community policing as a core function of all policing activity by gearing its service towards meeting locally identified priorities and needs. The Police Service has recently published a policy document, XPolicing with the Community in Northern Ireland", which they are arranging to place on their website. I have placed a copy in the Library.
	The Government have made clear its intention, through the coming policing legislation, to clarify the centrality of community policing in the work of PSNI and the Board's role in monitoring this.

Violence

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent level of violence in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The recent outbreak of renewed violence at the interface in East Belfast is disappointing and is to be condemned. There is evidence that this was clearly orchestrated with the intent of stirring up again sectarian tensions within the area. The sight of a gunman on the streets cannot be tolerated.
	It is time for republican and loyalist paramilitary groups to make a commitment to end all forms of violence.

Aggregates Levy

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research his Department has carried out in the last six months regarding the impact of the introduction of the aggregates levy in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: None. Responsibility for policy regarding the aggregates levy rests with HM Treasury/Customs and Excise.

Security

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation.

Jane Kennedy: Dissident Republicans remain a threat to the peace process but for the most part their activities have been thwarted, intercepted or nullified by good policing operations. Sectarian violence continues to blight both communities in interface areas in Northern Ireland.
	Recent activities by paramilitary groups on ceasefire have given cause for concern and the Secretary of State will continue to make judgments as set out in legislation under the Sentences Act 1998, particularly section 3(9).
	However, ceasefires in themselves are not enough and we must now see a real and permanent end to the activities of all paramilitary organisations.

Schools (Religious Division)

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to end religious division in schools.

Jane Kennedy: The Government do not seek to impose any particular type of education. The policy in Northern Ireland is that children should be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents providing this does not involve unreasonable public expenditure.
	All schools are open to all pupils regardless of religion. All schools should further understanding of the diversity of national, religious and ethnic identities, and the need for mutual respect and tolerance.

Employment Equality

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress towards equality in employment between women and men in Northern Ireland.

Des Browne: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to bring forward a cross-Departmental gender equality strategy during 2003. This will strengthen work being done under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
	The strategy, including baseline indicators, is being developed in consultation with the Equality Commission and voluntary and community sector groups.

Parades Commission

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Quigley Report into the Parades Commission.

Jane Kennedy: Sir George Quigley's Report into the Parades Commission was issued for consultation on 7 November 2002. The consultation period will last until the end of January next year and the Secretary of State is keen to get a broad cross-section of opinion.

Nurses

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nurses were employed in Northern Ireland in 1997; and how many now are employed.

Des Browne: Figures for nurses employed in September 1997 and September 2002, along with the corresponding increase in numbers, are given in the following table:
	
		
			September 1997  September 2002  Increase  
			  Count WTE(1) Count WTE Count WTE 
		
		
			 Qualified nurses(2) 12,994 11,085.22 14,137 11,933.85 1,143 848.63 
			 Unqualified nurses 3,799 3,253.37 4,506 3,902.51 707 649.14 
			 Bank nurses(3) 1,356 n/a 3,048 n/a 1,692 n/a 
			 Total 18,149 n/a 21,691 n/a 3,542 n/a 
		
	
	(1) Whole Time Equivalent
	(2) Figures for qualified nurses include health visitors, district nurses, midwives, school nurses, community psychiatric nurses, student health visitors, student midwives and other qualified nurses.
	(3) Bank nurses maintain service delivery by covering staffing shortfalls and fluctuating workloads. Due to the variable nature of their employment it is not possible to obtain accurate whole time equivalent data with which to measure their input to the service.
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Agency Workers

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with (a) employment agencies and (b) trade unions regarding the impact of the proposed Directive on Temporary Agency Work;
	(2)  what research her Department has carried out on (a) the number of agency workers as a percentage of the population and (b) the impact of the proposed EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work in (i) the UK and (ii) other European countries.

Alan Johnson: The DTI commissioned a survey of employment agencies which was conducted by the Bostock Marketing Group (BMG) in 1999. This reported an estimate for the number of temporary agency workers in the UK.
	The DTI produced a regulatory impact assessment (RIA) in 2002 which estimate the impact of the proposed EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work. Copies of the RIA are in the Libraries of the House.
	To estimate the number of temporary agency workers, the number reported in the BMG survey was adjusted to reflect the rate of growth in the sector as reported by the Labour Force Survey. We estimated the number of agency workers to be 700,000, around 2.5 per cent. of total employment.
	The DTI has not conducted any research as to the possible impact of the EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work in other EU countries.

Arms Exports (India)

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what shipments of military aircraft components to India were granted export licences in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002; and what end-user agreements were reached with the Indian Government in relation to them.

Nigel Griffiths: The export of military aircraft components is controlled under entries ML2, ML5, ML10, ML11, ML16, ML17, ML21, ML22 and PL5017 in Part III of Schedule 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 as amended.
	It would entail disproportionate cost to carry out a search of all export licences issued in 2000, 2001 and 2002 with the above ratings, to establish which covered the proposed export of components for military aircraft, where the end users were in India.
	Details of all export licences issued are published by destination in the Government's annual reports on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of the 2000 and 2001 annual reports are available in the Libraries of the House.
	The granting of a licence does not necessarily translate into an actual export.
	In almost all cases an application for a standard individual export licence, for the proposed permanent export of items controlled for strategic reasons, must be accompanied by an end user undertaking which is consistent with the model format published on the Department of Trade and Industry's Export Control Organisation website. The website address is www.dti.gov.uk/export.control.

Combined Heat and Power

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity was generated from combined heat and power in each year since 1990.

Brian Wilson: The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  TWh 
		
		
			 1991 11.0 
			 1993 14.2 
			 1994 12.2 
			 1995 14.8 
			 1996 16.1 
			 1997 16.8 
			 1998 18.7 
			 1999 20.2 
			 2000 26.8 
			 2001 22.2 
		
	
	Note:
	Before 1993 CHP data were not collected annually.
	Source:
	Department of Trade and Industry

Dounreay

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value is of the contracts awarded in decommissioning Dounreay Nuclear Reprocessing Plant during each of the past five years to companies with their registered office in (a) the Highlands and Islands region, (b) Scotland and (c) UK.

Brian Wilson: I understand from UKAEA that this information is only available from 1998–99.
	
		Value of contracts awarded in decommissioning Dounreay -- £million
		
			 Registered office of company 1998–99 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Highlands and Islands 32 35 36 
			 Scotland (including Highlands and Islands) 37 41 44 
			 UK (including whole of Scotland) 61 77 89

Electricity Generation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the total installed capacity of (a) renewable energy generation, (b) generation from each fossil fuel type, and (c) combined heat and power generation in the UK has been in each year since 1990;
	(2)  what the total installed capacity of nuclear generators in the UK was in each year since 1990.

Brian Wilson: The available information is shown in the following table and covers declared net capacities.
	
		Declared net plant capacity -- MW
		
			 Conventional steam stations  
			 Major power producers  
			 End year(4) Nuclear sources Renewable sources Combined cycle gas turbine stations Total conventional steam Coal fired Oil fired Mixed or dual fired Other generators Combined Heat and Power(5) 
		
		
			 1990 10,373 1,235 76 55,712 34,583 12,487 5,434 3,208 — 
			 1991 10,373 1,573 76 54,644 34,298 11,895 5,172 3,279 2,312 
			 1992 10,373 1,645 331 51,520 32,686 10,817 4,806 3,211 — 
			 1993 10,373 1,743 1,279 47,897 30,523 8,556 5,781 3,037 2,893 
			 1994 11,274 1,795 5,613 44,239 29,132 6,317 5,694 3,096 3,141 
			 1995 11,649 1,831 8,517 41,710 27,774 5,145 5,534 3,257 3,390 
			 1996 12,916 1,962 12,660 41,459 25,796 3,989 8,445 3,229 3,301 
			 1997 12,946 2,040 13,009 40,635 25,796 4,069 7,530 3,240 3,388 
			 1998 12,956 2,171 15,640 38,332 25,324 2,829 6,928 3,251 3,680 
			 1999 12,956 2,273 17,351 38,744 25,581 2,829 7,017 3,317 3,919 
			 2000 12,486 2,449 21,138 38,149 24,835 2,933 6,872 3,509 4,763 
			 2001 12,486 2,519 22,293 38,144 24,835 2,933 6,872 3,504 4,801 
		
	
	(4) Before 1997 figures relate to end March.
	(5) Prior to 1993 CHP data were not collected annually.

Electricity Generation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of electricity generated in the UK was generated from (a) combined heat and power, (b) each fossil fuel type, (c) renewable sources and (d) UK-based renewable sources in each year since 1990.

Brian Wilson: The available information is shown in the table. Prior to 1995, figures were not compiled on a Xfuel used" basis but by type of station.
	
		
			Proportion (percentage) generated from  
			  Total   
			  electricity generated (TWh) Combined heat and power(6) Fossil fuels CoalOilGasOther(7) Renewable sources 
		
		
			 1995 337.3 4.4 46.4 3.7 19.1 1.4 2.2 
			 1996 350.9 4.6 41.4 4.3 24.0 1.2 1.7 
			 1997 350.7 4.8 34.1 2.5 31.6 1.2 2.1 
			 1998 362.7 5.2 33.9 2.0 32.5 1.2 2.5 
			 1999 368.2 5.5 28.8 1.8 38.8 1.2 2.8 
			 2000 377.3 7.1 31.8 1.7 39.3 1.2 2.8 
			 2001 385.8 5.8 34.1 1.3 37.0 1.1 2.6 
		
	
	(6) The fossil fuels and renewables percentages include the use of these fuels in CHP plants.
	(7) Other sources include coke oven gas, blast furnace gas and waste products from chemical processes.
	Source:
	Department of Trade and Industry
	At the moment, all renewables used for UK generation are UK based renewable sources. Most of the electricity imported into the UK is from French nuclear sources but in 2001 1.7 TWh was certified as being from renewable sources.

Energy Sector (Government Support)

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Government financial support was given to the nuclear industry in each year since 1990, broken down by (a) research grants, (b) transfer of debt from privatised utilities, (c) non-fossil fuel levy, (d) investment in BNFL facilities, (e) running costs of UKAEA and NIREX and (f) other sources.

Brian Wilson: I refer the Honourable Gentlemen to the answer I gave on 14 November 2001, Official Report, column 757W.
	Figures for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the period FY 01/02 are as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Year Grant and grant in aid Fusion Other nuclear 
		
		
			 2001–02 253.2 14.3 0.2

Female Workers

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what she is doing to encourage regional development agencies to improve women's participation in the labour market.

Alan Johnson: RDAs are required to take an integrated and sustainable approach to the economic development of their regions, tackling competitiveness and productivity issues and also the underlying problems, including inequalities.
	All RDAs have led the development of Frameworks for Regional Employment and Skills Action (FRESAs). These bring together key regional and local bodies to produce a shared analysis of the region's labour market, and an action plan for meeting the region's skills and employment needs and for giving individuals the opportunity and skills to find and progress in employment. The FRESAs enable regional partners together to identify and address key issues for the regional labour market and agree partners who will take responsibility for equal opportunity, including increasing female participation rates where necessary.
	We are also working with the RDAs and interested Government Departments to identify and develop a role for the RDAs in encouraging and co-ordinating provision of childcare in their regions.

Fireworks

Doug Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what new measures her Department proposes to introduce in respect of fireworks.

Melanie Johnson: I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston on 17 October 2002, Official Report, columns 889–90, announcing a package of measures to address problems caused by fireworks.

Foreign Direct Investment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to increase foreign direct investment to the UK.

Nigel Griffiths: Invest-UK in London and overseas promotes the UK as the top inward investment location in Europe and works in partnership with all of the UK's Development Agencies to attract the maximum level of inward investment.
	In the first three weeks of November Invest-UK has spearheaded initiatives at several events to promote the UK overseas, including:
	UK(5)IT Bangalore—28 October to 1 November
	Israel Telecoms Exhibition 2002—4 to 7 November
	BioScandinavia in Copenhagen to promote the UK as the place for R&D—14 November
	UK@Comdex, Las Vegas—15 to 22 November.
	Investment conditions are challenging but Invest-UK helped with 123 successes in the first half of 2002, slightly more than in the first half of 2001. In order to boost our effort, we are taking on further staff and improving our client presentations and communication systems.

Fossil Fuels

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity was generated from fossil fuel sources in the UK in each year since 1990, broken down by fossil fuel type.

Brian Wilson: The available information is shown in the following table. Prior to 1995, figures were not compiled on a Xfuel used" basis but by type of station.
	
		Electricity generated from fossil fuels -- TWh
		
			  Coal Oil Gas Other(8) 
		
		
			 1995 156.4 12.6 64.3 4.6 
			 1996 145.2 15.0 84.1 4.3 
			 1997 119.7 8.7 111.0 4.2 
			 1998 123.0 7.4 117.8 4.2 
			 1999 106.2 6.5 142.9 4.3 
			 2000 120.0 6.5 148.2 4.4 
			 2001 131.5 5.2 142.6 4.1 
		
	
	(8) Other sources include coke oven gas, blast furnace gas and waste products from chemical processes
	Source:
	Department of Trade and Industry

Hawk Aircraft

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 20 November 2002, Ref 81322, Official Report, column 151W, whether an export licence was granted in respect of spare parts for Hawk aircraft for export to a country other than Zimbabwe, which have subsequently been exported to Zimbabwe.

Nigel Griffiths: Since the introduction of the UK arms embargo on 12 May 2000, no Standard Individual Export Licences or Open Individual Export Licences have been issued, which would authorise the export of spare parts for Hawk aircraft to Zimbabwe.
	The Government rigorously assess all export licence applications to determine the risk of the proposed export being misused, diverted or re-exported under undesirable conditions in contravention of the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria.

Industrial Disputes

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many industrial disputes lasted for longer than eight weeks in the most recently available figures.

Alan Johnson: Detailed information is not collected on the duration of industrial disputes, only the number of days lost to strike action. However, from the data available it is estimated that in the period January to September 2002, 12 industrial disputes (around 1 in 10 of all disputes) lasted more than eight weeks (counted from the first day of industrial action onwards).

Inward Investment

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates she has made of the level of inward investment into (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands region and (c) the London region in the period 1998 to 2002.

Alan Johnson: The figures in the table are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. There is no requirement to notify Invest-UK of such decisions to invest, and so these figures include only those projects where Invest-UK and its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice.
	Invest-UK does not hold inward investment data relating to sub-regional level. However, the number of inward investment projects successes recorded in London and the West Midlands regions during the financial years 1998–2002 are as follows:
	
		
			 Region 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 West Midlands 72 99 103 98 
			 London 105 159 227 215

Office of Fair Trading

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met the Director-General of the Office of Fair Trading.

Melanie Johnson: My right hon. Friend last met the Director-General of the Office of Fair Trading in November 2001 and the next meeting is arranged for December.
	In addition, I have regular meetings with the Director-General of the Office of Fair Trading, as do DTI officials.

Nuclear Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity was generated from nuclear generators in the UK, and what proportion of all electricity used in the UK was generated from (a) nuclear generation and (b) UK-based nuclear generation, in each year since 1990.

Brian Wilson: The available information is shown in the following table and covers electricity supplied from nuclear sources.
	
		Percentage of UK electricity supplied from
		
			  Electricity supplied from UK based nuclear generators UK based nuclear generators Imports(9) 
		
		
			 1990 58.7 19.0 3.8 
			 1991 62.8 19.8 5.2 
			 1992 69.1 21.9 5.3 
			 1993 81.0 25.4 5.2 
			 1994 80.0 24.7 5.2 
			 1995 80.6 24.1 4.9 
			 1996 85.8 24.6 4.8 
			 1997 89.3 25.7 4.8 
			 1998 90.6 25.5 3.5 
			 1999 87.7 24.2 4.0 
			 2000 78.3 21.1 3.8 
			 2001 83.0 22.1 2.3 
		
	
	(9) It is assumed that all electricity imported from France is from nuclear sources, except in 2001 when 1.7 TWh was certified as being from renewable sources.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity was generated from renewable sources in the UK in each year since 1990.

Brian Wilson: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Electricity generated from renewable sources -- GWh
		
			  Hydro Biofuels and wastes  
			  Wind and wave Solar photo-voltaics Small scale Large scale Landfill gas Sewage sludge digestion Municipal solid waste combustion Other biofuels Wastes Total biofuels and wastes Total 
		
		
			 1990 9 — 127 5,080 139 316 140 — 83 678 5,894 
			 1991 9 — 142 4,482 208 328 151 1 88 776 5,409 
			 1992 33 — 149 5,282 377 328 177 52 104 1,038 6,502 
			 1993 217 — 159 4,143 447 378 251 122 165 1,363 5,883 
			 1994 344 — 159 4,935 517 361 449 192 352 1,870 7,307 
			 1995 392 — 166 4,672 562 410 471 199 412 2,053 7,283 
			 1996 488 — 118 3,275 708 410 490 197 417 2,221 6,101 
			 1997 667 — 164 4,005 918 408 585 199 483 2,593 7,428 
			 1998 877 — 206 4,911 1,185 386 849 234 583 3,237 9,231 
			 1999 850 1 207 5,128 1,703 410 856 460 558 3,987 10,174 
			 2000 947 1 214 4,871 2,188 367 862 473 532 4,422 10,454 
			 2001 967 2 210 3,845 2,507 363 948 770 488 5,076 10,099 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Trade and Industry

Temporary Workers

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's policy is on the proposed six weeks qualifying period for temporary workers to have the same rights as permanent workers, as part of the proposed EU Directive on Temporary Agency Work.

Alan Johnson: The Department of Trade and Industry supports the principle of a qualifying period before temporary agency workers have the same rights as permanent staff but believe the period should be much longer than 6 weeks. We have proposed 12 months.

Turkey

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of bilateral trade with Turkey was in 2001–02.

Nigel Griffiths: The information is in the following table.
	
		UK trade with Turkey: current prices, balance of payments basis -- £ million
		
			  UK exports UK imports Total trade 
		
		
			 Trade in goods and services 
			 2001 1,519 2,193 3,712 
			 January to September 2002 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Trade in goods
			 2001 1,179 1,692 2,871 
			 January to September 2002 938 1,523 2,461 
			 
			 Trade in services
			 2001 340 501 841 
			 January to September 2002 n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for trade in services are only available on an annual basis.
	Source:
	Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics (MRETS), ONS
	United Kingdom Balance of Payments (The Pink Book), ONS

Vehicle Recycling and Disposal

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of scrap cars were valorised in 2001; if she estimates that the Automotive Consortium on Recycling and Disposal is on schedule to valorise 95 per cent. of all scrap cars by 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The ACORD industry group report for 2001 estimated that 80 per cent. of the weight of vehicles scrapped in the year 2000 was re-used or recovered. The End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC) requires member states to re-use or recover 95 per cent. by the beginning of 2015. The Government is presently considering the design of a system which will achieve that target. Draft regulations will be published early in 2003. Their final form will depend upon member states agreeing a common method for calculating ELV recovery rates, yet to be proposed by the European Commission.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Drugs

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of a minimum standard of drugs education in secondary schools.

Stephen Twigg: We are determined to ensure that the quality of drug education provision in all schools is of high quality. Funding is made available through the standards fund (£15.5 million in 2002–03) to all local education authorities to facilitate this. It will help schools deliver drug education programmes tailor made to the needs of young people, train teachers, and fund school drug adviser posts to work directly with schools to address gaps in the quality of drug education and help ensure drug education and incident management polices are in line with DfES guidance.
	There are a number of other measures in place to drive up the quality of drug education including the drug, alcohol and tobacco education package to improve teaching and learning and classroom practice and QCA curriculum materials which provide exemplar teaching and learning activities for key stages 1–4.
	The latest Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) survey of drug education published in November 2002 indicated that at key stages 3 and 4 the quality of teaching about drugs is at least adequate in all but a few lessons and good or better in 40 per cent. of lessons. We will be working with Ofsted to strengthen current arrangements for inspecting drug education. This might include specific training for Ofsted inspectors.

Drugs

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of additional post-threshold pay progression for teachers will be met by additional central Government funding; and whether this extra money will recur in future financial years.

David Miliband: Movement to point two of the upper pay scale for post-threshold teachers is by performance points awarded on a discretionary basis by school governors. The Department is contributing £90 million to fund progression on the upper pay scale for teachers. The percentage of awards that the £90 million will fully fund depends on the number of discretionary points that governing bodies decide to award.
	Schools are also able to use their general budgets to fund moving teachers to point two should they wish to do so. Schools have benefited from a £1.3 billion increase in education standard spending assessments this financial year.
	The exact mechanisms for future funding have yet to be finalised. However, we have already said that funding for post-threshold and leadership performance points next year will not be less than the £150 million already announced.

Adult Learning

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress he has made towards the targets for adult learning announced in March 1999 as part of the national learning targets for 2002

David Miliband: On November 13 this year, we announced that the National learning target for adult participation had been met. The announcement was made on the occasion of the publication of the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey (ALALFS)2001–02.
	In 1999, the government set a target of increasing adult participation in learning (as measured by the National Audit Learning Survey (NALS) from 74 per cent. in 1997 to 76 per cent. in 2002.
	The NALS 2002 survey found that 76.4 per cent. of adults had taken part in learning activities recognised by NALS over the last three years. Thus the target has been met; and it is confirmed by this year's Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey. The target applies to adults living in England aged 16–69 outside continuous full-time education.
	The following table summarises the findings from recent surveys of learning which used the NALS definition. The same questions were asked in the NAL did not accept proxy interviews and had a lower response rate.
	
		
			 Survey name Date of fieldwork Learning participation 
			   Per cent 
		
		
			 NALS 2002 January 2002-June 2002 76.4 
			 ELLFS 2001 March 2001-February 2002 76.0 
			 NALS 2001 January 2001-May 2001 75.6 
			 ELLFS 2000 March 2000-February 2001 74.2 
			 NALS 1997 March 1997-April 1997 73.8

Arson

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many incidents of arson there were in, and what the cost of the damage was to (i) state primary schools, (ii) state secondary schools, (iii) all state schools, (iv) further education colleges and (v) higher education institutions, in each county in each year since 1992.

David Miliband: The Department does not collect these figures.

Class Sizes

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities have classes of more than 30 pupils for five, six or seven-year-olds.

David Miliband: holding answer 18 November 2002
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Local education authorities with classes of 30 or more pupils—January 2002 
		
			  Total all classes Of which: number of classes with more than 30 pupils(10) 
		
		
			 Barnsley 278 4 
			 Bedfordshire 531 7 
			 Birmingham 1,341 7 
			 Bolton 354 2 
			 Bracknell Forest 124 1 
			 Bradford 627 9 
			 Brent 291 1 
			 Buckinghamshire 606 7 
			 Bury 245 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 660 11 
			 Camden 130 1 
			 Cheshire 863 9 
			 Cornwall 526 5 
			 Coventry 398 1 
			 Croydon 384 1 
			 Darlington 128 1 
			 Derbyshire 964 14 
			 Doncaster 405 4 
			 Dorset 462 1 
			 Dudley 389 2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 391 5 
			 East Sussex 521 2 
			 Enfield 344 1 
			 Essex 1,622 25 
			 Gateshead 234 1 
			 Gloucestershire 665 1 
			 Greenwich 272 1 
			 Hackney 209 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 107 1 
			 Hampshire 1,543 7 
			 Haringey 266 1 
			 Havering 294 2 
			 Herefordshire 222 2 
			 Hertfordshire 1,285 9 
			 Hillingdon 329 4 
			 Hounslow 252 1 
			 Islington 189 4 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 85 2 
			 Kent 1,707 4 
			 Kingston upon Thames 151 1 
			 Knowsley 245 1 
			 Lancashire 1,456 4 
			 Leeds 889 4 
			 Leicester 386 3 
			 Leicestershire 811 9 
			 Lewisham 291 2 
			 Liverpool 595 5 
			 Luton 257 2 
			 Manchester 566 1 
			 Milton Keynes 283 8 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 293 1 
			 Norfolk 979 3 
			 North East Lincolnshire 213 6 
			 North Lincolnshire 189 1 
			 North Yorkshire 768 5 
			 Northamptonshire 914 3 
			 Northumberland 367 11 
			 Oldham 319 2 
			 Peterborough 232 3 
			 Reading 134 1 
			 Redbridge 288 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 199 1 
			 Richmond upon Thames 177 1 
			 Rotherham 354 2 
			 Salford 294 1 
			 Sandwell 403 1 
			 Sheffield 605 3 
			 Shropshire 322 1 
			 Solihull 292 1 
			 Somerset 603 2 
			 South Gloucestershire 354 1 
			 Southampton 254 1 
			 Southwark 340 2 
			 Staffordshire 1,122 8 
			 Stockport 354 1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 260 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 311 2 
			 Surrey 1,177 4 
			 Sutton 174 1 
			 Swindon 255 4 
			 Telford and Wrekin 217 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 231 2 
			 Trafford 269 1 
			 Wakefield 392 7 
			 Wandsworth 216 1 
			 Warrington 278 3 
			 Warwickshire 624 6 
			 West Berkshire 173 2 
			 West Sussex 881 5 
			 Westminster 103 1 
			 Wiltshire 551 6 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 127 1 
			 Wirral 455 2 
			 Wolverhampton 321 2 
			 Total 43,557 325 
		
	
	(10) About 70 per cent. of these classes included pupils that were admitted as Xexcepted" pupils under the Education (Infant Class Size) Regulations 1998. Exceptions include classes with pupils admitted outside the normal admission round, after an admission appeal or because of a statement of Special Educational Needs. Also, classes where pupils are temporarily present from a special unit and classes for other teaching sessions such as games, music or drama.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census
	Infant class size information for September 2002 was published on 20 November 2002 in the statistical first release entitled, XInfant Class Sizes in England: September 2002". This showed that nationally there were 307 classes of more than 30 pupils of which 288 were recorded as acceptable under the Education (Infant Class Sizes) Regulations 1998. These September figures are not directly comparable with those in January, because of seasonal effects such as pupils entering school in January. Corresponding local education authority level figures are not yet available but will be published in due course on the DfES statistical website www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics.

Education Review Body

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will set up a review body to look at under-achievement and deprivation, and the funding system for education.

David Miliband: The Education Funding Strategy Group (EFSG) and its technical sub group was set up in February 2001, to oversee the production of proposals for a new LEA funding system, building on the proposals in the September 2000 Local Government Finance Green Paper. The group considered papers on underachievement and deprivation at a number of their meetings. Its report was published in May 2002, and copies have already been placed in the Library of the House.

Education Spending

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) average spending per pupil and (b) pupil teacher ratios are in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in (A) Staffordshire and (B) England in 2001–02.

David Miliband: The following tables contain information from 2000–01, the latest year for which data are available:
	
		NIE per pupil: 2000–01 -- £
		
			  Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 Staffordshire 2,060 2,620 
			  
			 England 2,210 2,830 
		
	
	
		Pupil teacher ratios: 2000–01 -- £
		
			  Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 Staffordshire 23.7 17.6 
			 England 22.9 17.1 
		
	
	We do not yet have information on spending in 2001–02.

Education Spending

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average spending per pupil is in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) each shire education authority area in England and (ii) England.

David Miliband: The following table provides the latest available information:
	
		
			  NIE per pupil 
			 LEA Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 Bedfordshire 2,280 2,590 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,820 2,480 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,040 2,650 
			 Cheshire 1,920 2,220 
			 Cornwall 2,100 2,590 
			 Cumbria 2,240 2,820 
			 Derbyshire 2,010 2,570 
			 Devon 2,040 2,650 
			 Dorset 2,180 2,690 
			 Durham 2,300 2,780 
			 East Sussex 2,120 2,760 
			 Essex 2,270 2,860 
			 Gloucestershire 2,220 2,560 
			 Hampshire 2,150 2,670 
			 Hertfordshire 2,150 2,790 
			 Kent 2,250 2,790 
			 Lancashire 2,180 2,800 
			 Leicestershire 2,080 2,710 
			 Lincolnshire 2,010 2,630 
			 Norfolk 2,010 2,580 
			 North Yorkshire 2,110 2,750 
			 Northamptonshire 2,220 2,800 
			 Northumberland 2,180 2,490 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,200 2,730 
			 Oxfordshire 2,230 2,750 
			 Shropshire 1,990 2,630 
			 Somerset 2,160 2,710 
			 Staffordshire 2,060 2,620 
			 Suffolk 2,230 2,630 
			 Surrey 2,210 2,710 
			 Warwickshire 1,980 2,620 
			 West Sussex 2,210 2,770 
			 Wiltshire 1,940 2,480 
			 Worcestershire 2,090 2,530 
			 England 2,210 2,830 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures are provided on a cash basis and rounded to the nearest £10.
	2. NIE is the net institutional expenditure, which is the money spent within schools. It does not include central LEA expenditure.
	Source:
	1. Financial data are drawn from local education authorities section 52 financial statements (outturn) relating to the 2000–01 financial year.
	2. Pupil data are derived from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to a financial year basis.

Educational Attainment

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentages of 15-year-olds were low-achieving in (a) reading, (b) mathematical and (c) scientific literacy in England in the last year for which figures are available.

David Miliband: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The nearest equivalent information, relating to the percentage of 14-year-olds at or below level 3 in the Key Stage 3 tests in 2002 is given in the table.
	
		Percentage at or below level 3 Key Stage 3, 2002
		
			 Subject  
		
		
			 English 10 
			 Mathematics 11 
			 Science 9

Funding (Cheshire)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the level of central funding from his Department to (a) Cheshire county council, (b) Chester city council, (c) Vale Royal borough council and (d) Crewe and Nantwich borough council in each of the last five years; and what the average funding of county, city and borough councils in England was in those years.

David Miliband: No departmental funding has been made to Chester city council, Vale Royal borough council, or Crewe and Nantwich borough council. The table shows the Department's total recurrent and capital funding for the financial years 1997–98 to 2001–02 to Cheshire Local Education Authority.
	
		£ 
		
			  Recurrent funding(11) Capital funding(12) 
		
		
			 1997–98 16,006,000 8,373,000 
			 1998–99 7,906,000 9,784,000 
			 1999–2000 7,878,000 15,337,000 
			 2000–01 25,115,000 27,812,000 
			 2001–02 35,664,000 34,124,000 
		
	
	(11) Funding comprised of Standards Fund Grant (departmental contribution), School Standards Grant, School Budget Support Grant, Education Budget Support Grant, Teachers Pay Reform Grant, Nursery Education Grant, Childcare Grant, Education Action Zone Grant and Grant Maintained Transitional Funding Grant. Reductions in 1998–99 and 1999–2000 are due to local government reorganisation and the transfer of Nursery Education Grant for four year-olds to Education Standard Spending.
	(12) Funding includes Basic Need (ACG), Standards Fund Grant (departmental contribution), Voluntary Aided School Grant, Schools Access Initiative and New Deal for Schools.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
	The Department provides support to each local authority in England which is a local education authority, including all county councils. The main determinant of each local education authority's level of funding is the number of pupils it educates.

House Prices (Windsor, Maidenhead and Wokingham)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact on house prices in (a) The Royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and (b) Wokingham district following the statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister on 18 July, Official Report, column 438; and what changes he expects to make to teacher funding levels in the area.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend has made no assessment of the impact of the effect on house prices following the statement made by the Deputy Prime Minister on 18 July, and will not be making any changes to funding levels in the area as a result.

Intervention

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what reviews have been undertaken of the effectiveness of different methods of intervention in failing local government authorities; and what proposals he has to undertake further reviews.

David Miliband: Ofsted reinspection reports on 27 LEAs previously found to be failing have so far shown that 26 had improved, with 21 now satisfactory.
	The Audit Commission, in their report, XA force for change central government intervention in failing local government services", which examined interventions in education and social services, found that Xeffective interventions work by tackling the fundamental causes of service failure: poor political and managerial leadership and poor systems and culture". In addition, in an NOP survey of local councils that had been subject to intervention, 72 per cent. of respondents thought that their councils had made substantial progress, while 75 per cent. said they had found intervention Xfairly" or Xvery" helpful.
	The Department has commissioned independent consultants to evaluate new organisational models in local education authorities, including those resulting from intervention. The consultants will report on organisational robustness, performance, value for money and sustainability, as well as identifying the local circumstances under which it would be appropriate to adopt one model rather than another. They will also advise on a process whereby the different models can be further evaluated in two years' time. The consultants' report and guidance will be published by March 2003.

Non-teaching Staff

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the ratio is of non-teaching staff employed by local education authorities, his Department and educational quangos to the numbers of teachers teaching in state schools.

David Miliband: The requested information is not collated centrally.

Pupil Exclusions

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the support available to children with mental health problems excluded from school.

Stephen Twigg: In November 2001 the Government published statutory guidance, XAccess to education for children and young people with medical needs", which covers mental health as well as other medical needs. And in June 2001 the Department also published jointly with the Department of Health guidance on XPromoting Children's Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings". The guidance is designed to help teachers and others working alongside mental health professionals, to promote children's mental health and to intervene effectively with those children experiencing problems. Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) are available to offer a range of professional support and help for individual children, their families and schools. They can provide early identification of problems, assessment, specialist advice, outreach work and treatment. We have implemented a robust policy to ensure that all pupils permanently excluded from schools receive a suitable full-time education. All pupils should continue to have access to as much education as their mental health condition allows so that they are able to maintain the momentum of their education and keep up with their studies.

School Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of capital investment in school buildings in coalfield areas was in each year since 1997; and how this compares with the national average.

David Miliband: We do not have this information. The Department currently allocates most capital funding for schools to local education authorities (LEAs), based on needs-related formulae, and it is for the authorities to assess and prioritise the capital needs of their school buildings in line with their local asset management plans. Individual LEAs will, therefore, hold information on how much capital investment has been allocated to schools within coalfield areas.
	The table shows the level of central Government support for capital investment in school buildings in England for each financial year from 1996–97 to 2003–04.
	
		£ billion 
		
			 Year Capital allocation 
		
		
			 1996–97 0.7 
			 1997–98 0.8 
			 1998–99 1.1 
			 1999–2000 1.4 
			 2000–01 2.1 
			 2001–02 2.2 
			 2002–03 3.0 
			 2003–04 3.8 
			 Total 15.1

School Places (Sittingbourne and Sheppey)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many pupils and students in Sittingbourne and Sheppey do not have places in schools; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many schools in Sittingbourne and Sheppey have refused access to children on grounds of the health and safety legislation since the beginning of the school year.

David Miliband: holding answer 21 November 2002
	The Department does not collect this information. LEAs have a statutory duty to ensure that sufficient school places are available for pupils of compulsory school age and it is for them to monitor local needs and plan provision accordingly. LEAs in general, or boards of governors in foundation schools, have a statutory duty under health and safety legislation to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff.

School Playing Fields

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many school playing fields have been (a) leased and (b) sold under the Private Finance Initiative, broken down by education authority;
	(2)  how many applications (a) to sell and (b) to change the use of school playing fields have fallen under the General Consent Orders of Section 77 (5) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) 2001–02; who determines whether an application falls under the Orders, and what checks his Department carries out on such applications;
	(3)  how many applications were made to dispose of school playing fields larger than 2,000 metres square in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Lbraries.

School Standards Grant

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 18 November, Official Report, column 310, on school standards grant, what adjustments have been made to the amount of standards fund grant payable to each local education authority as a result of changes in the number of pupils in schools within each LEA area.

David Miliband: The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Schools Funding (Buckinghamshire)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) the formula grant and (b) the spending per head in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in Buckinghamshire is in the year 2002–03.

David Miliband: holding answer 19 November 2002
	Funding for Buckinghamshire in 2002–03 is shown in the following table. We will not know actual spending until the autumn of 2003.
	
		£ 
		
			  SSA Grants Total 
		
		
			 Primary 2,660 460 3,120 
			 Secondary 3,410 330 3,740 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (primary and secondary sub-blocks respectively), plus all revenue grants in DfES's Departmental expenditure limits relevant to primary and secondary pupils (excluding EMA and a handful of others where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).
	2. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures £ to per pupil are the maintained pupils und settlement calculations.
	3. Status: 2002–03 grants (and hence total) figures are provisional.
	4. Price Base: cash
	5. Rounding: figures are rounded to the nearest £10. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Specialist Schools Programme

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the engineering colleges that have been created under the Specialist Schools Programme, stating in each case the date of establishment.

David Miliband: Four schools have been designated engineering colleges, following the first competition for the new specialism, and became operational in September 2002. They are:
	Devonport High School, Plymouth
	Eckington School, Derbyshire
	St. Benedict's Catholic High School, Cumbria
	Woodchurch High School, Wirral

Teachers' Pay

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provision is made in his Departmental budget for funding the upper pay scale for teachers.

David Miliband: holding answer 25 November 2002
	We are currently funding 185,000 full time equivalent teachers for their threshold money, which this year is 2,148. The threshold is point 1 of the upper pay scale.
	We have also allocated an extra 90 million this financial year for the costs of promoting teachers to point two of the upper pay scale. Schools are also able to use their general budgets to fund moving teachers to point two should they wish to do so.

TREASURY

Child Tax Credit

Martin Linton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the percentage of families in the Battersea constituency who will benefit from the child tax credit from April.

Dawn Primarolo: Nine out of 10 families with children will be eligible for the child tax credit, to be introduced in April 2003.
	Estimates of the number of families with children in the Battersea constituency that will benefit from the child tax credit are not available; however, an estimated 700,000 families with children in London are expected to benefit from the child tax credit.

CR74

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the results of the CR74 record management exercise.

Dawn Primarolo: CR74 was an Inland Revenue exercise in support of its day-to-day record management process. It involved a systematic check, over a six-month period earlier this year, of national insurance numbers held on Inland Revenue records. Updated records have been kept separate and the Department has introduced better processes to help ensure that its records stay up to date.
	CR74 identified about 3.5 million records as no longer needed. The exercise also identified around 1.3 million records as requiring further checking, and the Inland Revenue will be working through them over the next few months.

Landfill Tax Credit

Norman Baker: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on promoting the landfill tax credit scheme in each year since its inception.

John Healey: It is not possible to give a precise figure for each year, however from the introduction of the landfill tax credit scheme to the year 2000 Entrust, the scheme's regulator, spent £606,000 on information, communication and promotion. Under its Terms of Approval, Entrust no longer promotes the scheme. To date the scheme has received £588 million in contributions.

National Insurance

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was expended from national insurance contributions on (a) contributory benefits and (b) the NHS in each year since 1991–92; and what the forecasted expenditure is for each of the next 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Available estimates and outturn of benefit expenditure, 1991–92 to 2005–06, are published on the DWP website http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/Table1.xls
	The amount of the NHS allocation from national insurance contributions is published in the accounts of the national insurance fund each year, copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library.
	The Government Actuary's Department's estimates for the NHS allocation from NIC receipts for 2001–02 to 2005–06 are shown in the table:
	
		£ million
		
			 Great Britain 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			  
			 NHS allocation of NIC receipts 7,240 7,560 15,570 17,840 18,780

WORK AND PENSIONS

Adviser Discretion Fund

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information is kept on the uses of money paid out from the Adviser Discretion Fund; and what checks are made to ensure that the money is spent on the things for which it is assigned.

Nick Brown: We have introduced the Adviser Discretion Fund to give personal advisers more flexibility in the help they can offer their New Deal clients.
	The fund has been a success. Over 61,000 of the people who have received an award have moved into work. On 18 November we announced that we will be extending access to the Adviser Discretion Fund to all incapacity benefit clients working with Jobcentre Plus advisers in areas piloting the changes recommended in the 'Pathways to Work' consultation document.
	We maintain records of: the number of awards; the monetary value of awards (case by case and in total); the type of goods and services being purchased; and the number of people who, having received an award, subsequently find work.
	Confirmation of the goods and services purchased and their cost is provided through either an invoice where the supplier is paid direct or a receipt (from the supplier) provided by the individual customer.

Attendance Allowance

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the basis on which his Department collects data on the number of pensioners who had attendance allowance withdrawn during a stay in hospital; and how many pensioners were affected by these rules in the past three years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The Department collects data on people in receipt of attendance allowance (and other disability and carer benefits) by means of a quarterly statistical inquiry. This allows analysis—on a sample basis—of the numbers of recipients whose awards are suspended at the date of the inquiry because they have been in hospital more than 28 days. Because periods of suspension may be completed between two quarterly inquiries or span more than one inquiry, this information does not provide a basis for calculating cumulative figures for people who have had their AA or DLA suspended after spending 28 days in hospital.
	
		Numbers of attendance allowance cases at 31 May of each year in the period 2000 to 2002 and numbers of cases in which payments were recorded as suspended because the recipient was in hospital
		
			  Attendance allowance  
			  Total cases Cases with payment suspended while recipient in hospital 
		
		
			 2000 1,249,600 13,300 
			 2001 1,290,000 14,400 
			 2002 1,288,200 15,500 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Figures for suspensions refer only to cases where the reason is known.
	3. Information is collected at the end of February, May, August and November each year. Figures in the table vary from those given in the written answer on 11 July 2002, Official Report, column 1146W, which date back from November 2001.
	Source:
	Analytical Services Division Information Centre: 5 per cent. data.

Child Support Agency

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to implement the new assessment procedures at the Child Support Agency for (a) existing and (b) new clients.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent to hon. Members on 19 September 2002 by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, a copy of which was placed in the Library. The new scheme will commence for existing clients when we are satisfied that it is working well. We expect this to be about a year later.

Civil Service Pensioners

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of a civil service pension started their service prior to 1949.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Arrangements for the extraction of information from the civil service pensioner payroll database and subsequent investigation of individual pensioner files by former employing Departments would be necessary to identify those with pre-1949 service, including those whose service was in an unestablished (ie temporary) capacity.

Corporate Responsibility

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many HSE investigations into the deaths of (a) people at work and (b) members of the public have resulted in the prosecution of a company director or senior manager in each of the last five years.

Nick Brown: holding answer 21 November 2002
	HSE's validated prosecution statistics do not identify cases against individual directors and senior managers following fatal incident investigations. HSE have already recognised the need to address this shortfall in their information systems. They set up a new system in April 2002 that will enable them to accurately capture and provide this information for future years.

Employment Action Teams

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used by each Employment Action Team to define the areas of special employment action.

Nick Brown: holding answer 26 November 2002
	We launched the first phase of the Action Teams for Jobs initiative in 2000. The locations of the 40 teams were selected on the basis of their low levels of employment, high levels of unemployment, high proportions of people from ethnic minority backgrounds; or their being in existing Employment Zone or European Social Fund Objective One areas. These teams were able to choose where they worked within the area, subject to the approval of an inter-Departmental Project Steering Group.
	In 2001 the Action Team initiative was extended. Some new teams were introduced and some teams in large urban areas were divided to ensure a strong local presence was retained. The focus of the teams was sharpened to ensure they targeted only the most disadvantaged people in the most employment deprived wards. Wards covered by the new Action Teams and additional wards covered by existing teams were selected because their working age employment rate was 58.5 per cent., or below in April 2001 when selection took place. Within these wards, teams can work with people from specified disadvantaged groups.

Jobcentre Plus

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which local authority areas have been selected to receive additional points in respect of the Jobcentre Plus Job Entry Target set by his Department; what criteria were applied when selecting the areas; whom he consulted in respect of the selection; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the criteria are by which additional points are scored in relation to the Jobcentre Plus Job Entry Target scheme; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what criteria he applied when determining the Jobcentre Plus Job Entry Target points score to be given to each type of priority client; and what guidance has been given to Jobcentre Plus staff on the way in which such clients should be prioritised in relation to (a) other priority client groups and (b) other clients.

Nick Brown: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The Jobcentre Plus job entry targets help focus the agency's efforts and resources on helping those people on whom we want to target more support to move from welfare into work. They include lone parents, disabled people and those living in the most disadvantaged areas of the country.
	The way in which job entry and additional point scores have been allocated sends clear signals about our priorities to all Jobcentre Plus managers and staff who have been informed about them in writing.
	The 60 local authority areas attracting additional job entry point scores are in the table. These local authorities were chosen because they either have the highest unemployment rates or the highest minority ethnic populations. We consulted other Government Departments, the National Employment Panel and key stakeholders in deciding on these criteria.
	
		
			 Local Authorities with highest unemployment rates Local Authorities with highest minority ethnic population 
		
		
			 Blaenau Gwent Barnet 
			 Caerphilly Birmingham 
			 Dundee City Bradford 
			 Easington Brent 
			 East Ayrshire Camden 
			 Glasgow City Coventry 
			 Hackney Croydon 
			 Halton Ealing 
			 Hartlepool Enfield 
			 Islington Greenwich 
			 Kingston upon Hull Hammersmith and Fulham 
			 Knowsley Hariney 
			 Liverpool Harrow 
			 Manchester Hillingdon 
			 Merthyr Tydfil Hounslow 
			 Middlesbrough Kensington and Chelsea 
			 Neath Port Talbot Kirklees 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Lambeth 
			 Newham Leeds 
			 North Lanarkshire Leicester City 
			 Nottingham Lewisham 
			 Pembrokeshire Luton 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Merton 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff Redbridge 
			 Salford Sandwell 
			 South Tyneside Sheffield 
			 Southwark Waltham Forest 
			 Sunderland Wandsworth 
			 Tower Hamlets City of Westminster 
			 West Dunbartonshire Wolverhampton

Ken Willis (European Judgment)

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the implications of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Ken Willis-application No. 36042/97; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In June 2002 the European Court of Human Rights found that the UK Government had violated the Convention in respect of Mr. Ken Willis by not paying him the Widowed Mother's Allowance and Widow's Payment that he would have been entitled to had he been a woman in the same circumstances. The Court ordered a payment equivalent to the benefit that he would have received had he been a woman and an amount in respect of interest. The Government is not contesting that judgement.
	Litigation remains before the domestic and Strasbourg Courts. The Court of Appeal heard arguments in the domestic cases during week commencing 7 October and judgment was reserved. The European Court of Human Rights has postponed further hearings of applications by widowers until the completion of the domestic litigation.
	The Government never speculates about the outcomes of cases or the decisions that it may take.

Literacy

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the literacy levels of long-term unemployed people in coalfield areas were in each year since 1997; and how this compared with the national average.

Nick Brown: Information on the literacy levels among long-term unemployed people in coalfield areas is not available. It is estimated that around one third of unemployed people have literacy levels below Level 1 (the level expected of an 11 year old) in England 1 .
	We are committed to helping unemployed people improve their literacy and numeracy skills so they can find and stay in work. Jobcentre Plus has comprehensive arrangements in place to identify clients who need help with their basic skills, and refer them to high quality learning opportunities. Around 15,000 clients are screened for literacy and numeracy needs by Jobcentre Plus every week.
	We are currently introducing a number of measures to enhance our basic skills provision even further. For example, each Jobcentre Plus district now has a basic skills champion to drive forward work and support front line staff in this important area, and in October we introduced a more intensive and work-focused basic skills training programme. Between September 2001 and March 2002 we piloted different ways of encouraging people to take up literacy and numeracy help. One of these pilots was in my hon. Friend's constituency. Evaluation of the pilots will help us determine the future strategy for helping unemployed people improve their basic skills. The final evaluation report will be available next summer.
	 1 Source
	XSkills for Life: the National Strategy for Improving Adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills" (March 2001).

New Deal (Disabled People)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the number of beneficiaries of the New Deal for Disabled People.

Nick Brown: Since the national extension of the New Deal for Disabled People programme began, it has helped over 6,000 people into jobs and almost 28,000 have registered with Job Brokers to actively pursue employment.

Retirement Ages

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average age of retirement is for (a) his Department's employees and (b) people who work in each of the executive agencies within his Department.

Ian McCartney: The average age of staff retiring from the Department and from each of the executive agencies within the Department is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Average age (years) 
		
		
			 DWP 61.4 
			 Jobcentre Plus 61.1 
			 The Pension Service 61.2 
			 Child Support Agency 61.9 
			 Appeals Service 62.7

Stakeholder Pensions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what take-up there has been of stakeholder pensions.

Ian McCartney: Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) show that up to the end of September 2002, 1,151,371 stakeholder pensions had been sold. A detailed breakdown of sales will not be available until next year. Sales of over a million in their first 18 months on the market represents a very encouraging start.
	In addition, the ABI figures show that 335,717 employers had designated a scheme for their work force. This means more people have the chance to save for a decent income in retirement through the work place.

Widow's Benefits

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many UK citizens have cases before the European Court of Human Rights and the domestic courts challenging the UK Government for failing to pay men widow's benefits prior to the introduction of the new bereavement benefits in April 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: At present the European Court of Human Rights has notified the UK Government of 73 applications from widowers in Great Britain relating to challenges for failing to pay men widow's benefit before April 2001. Further consideration of these cases has been postponed by the Court pending the outcome of the domestic litigation. Any Northern Ireland cases are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
	Before the Court of Appeal, whose judgment was reserved following a hearing in October, there are four cases.

DEFENCE

A400M

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what advice was (a) sought from and (b) given by the Cultural Property Unit of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to his Department in connection with the proposed partnering agreement between the Government and Marine Odyssey Exploration Inc. to salvage antiquities from a wreck believed to be that of the 17th century warship, Sussex.

Lewis Moonie: Advice was sought from the Department for National Heritage, now part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), from an early stage on the implications of the agreement with Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc, and DCMS has been represented on an inter departmental Project Board which has given consideration to all aspects of the project.

A400M

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a UK Government archaeological observer will be on board vessels deployed by Marine Odyssey Exploration Inc. to monitor their operation in relation to salvaging from the wreck believed to be that of the 17th century warship, Sussex.

Lewis Moonie: The licence agreement provides for officially appointed observers to be on board the vessel during the whole exploration and recovery process at sea.

A400M

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision has been made to terminate the contract with Marine Odyssey Exploration Inc. if the salvage operation on the wreck believed to be that of the 17th century warship fails to meet established standards of archaeological research.

Lewis Moonie: The licence agreement requires that Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc produce a detailed project plan, covering all aspects of the project, which must be approved by the Government Departments involved before any excavation can take place. The project plan will be subject to scrutiny by an independent archaeological review group, to be chaired by English Heritage, to ensure that it complies with appropriate standards of archaeological research. If, following further discussion with the company, these standards cannot be guaranteed at the review stage, the Ministry of Defence has the option to terminate the agreement. The licence agreement also includes provision for termination in the event of any serious breach by Odyssey of any of its obligations that has not been remedied as soon as reasonably practicable upon receipt of written notification of such a breach.

A400M

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the contract between the Government and Marine Odyssey Exploration Inc. for salvage operations on the wreck believed to be that of the 17th century warship Sussex.

Lewis Moonie: I am unable to place a copy of the Licence Agreement in the Library in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information which relates to a Third Party's commercial confidences. I will, however, place in the Library of the House a copy of The Partnering Agreement Memorandum and a synopsis of the archaeological requirements of the agreement.

A400M

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which body will be responsible for assessing artefacts recovered from the wreck believed to be that of the 17th century warship Sussex to establish (a) their archaeological significance and (b) the most appropriate means of retention or disposal under the terms of the partnering agreement between Marine Odyssey Exploration Inc. and the UK Government.

Lewis Moonie: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and English Heritage will be consulted prior to any final decision on retention and disposal of items recovered from the wreck. We are committed to ensuring that every effort is made to consult public museums with relevant collecting interests.

A400M

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department first entered into discussion with Marine Odyssey Exploration Inc. in relation to proposals to salvage antiquities from the historic wreck believed to be that of the 17th century warship Sussex.

Lewis Moonie: The company first expressed an interest in locating the wreck and salvaging its cargo in 1995. The company requested permission to search for the wreck in 1998, and was informed that the Ministry of Defence had no objection to this. The MOD's position throughout has been that no agreement of any sort could be considered unless and until the wreck had been located and identified. Detailed discussions began, following the location of the wreck, in September 2002.

Anti-tank Missiles

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the combined explosive force is of 20 anti-tank missiles of the type lost in the Bristol channel recently.

Lewis Moonie: The total explosive force of 20 Swingfire warheads is equivalent to 64.2Kg of TNT.

Anti-tank Missiles

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the report on the lost anti-tank missiles in the Bristol channel will be put in the Library.

Lewis Moonie: The summary of the Board of Inquiry report will be placed in the Library of the House on 28 November.

Armed Forces (Home Owning)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces (a) own their own home and (b) cite a wish to own their own home as a reason for leaving the forces; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Continuous Attitude Surveys (CAS) are undertaken to ascertain the attitudes of personnel towards a range of service conditions and the results used to inform personnel policies, by identifying those aspects of service life which are causes of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction to personnel. The last Naval Service CAS was in September 2002. Surveys were sent to 2000 individuals and 957 (48 per cent.) responded. Respondents represented 2.5 per cent. of the trained strength (excluding FTRS personnel). The latest Army CAS was sent out in March/April 2002. The surveys were sent to 3,978 individuals and 1,897 responded in time for the analysis work. Respondents represented 1.9 per cent. of the trained strength (excluding FTRS and Gurkhas). The latest RAF report was published in March 2002 and covered surveys sent out in May and August 2001. Surveys were sent out to 4,000 individuals and 2,400 responded.
	The numbers of those who responded to the CAS that own their own home or cite the wish to own their own home as a reason for leaving each service are as follows:
	Navy
	The RN has for many years encouraged homeownership through its policy of freedom of choice over mobility and stability. The Long Service Advance of Pay (LSAP) is an £8,500 low interest rate loan available to all RN/RM personnel over 23-years-old with more than 10 years to serve and is designed to assist in house purchase. This is very popular and the latest Service Continuous Attitude Survey (SCAS) records 82 per cent. married personnel as homeowners and 72.2 per cent. living in their own home. LSAP is available to non-married personnel and the number of single homeowners is increasing. Definitive figures on ownership are not available but there is a 66 per cent. take up of LSAP among those unmarried personnel eligible to LSAP.
	Army
	Based on responses to the Army's most recent Continuous Attitude Survey, 38 per cent. of Army personnel own their own home. When questioned about the degree to which an intention to stay or leave was affected by the prospects of buying or renting their own home, 30 per cent. stated that it would increase their intention to stay, 55 per cent. stated that it would have no effect and 15 per cent. stated that it would increase their intention to leave.
	RAF
	Based on responses to a question in the RAF Continuous General Attitude Survey (GCAS) around 47 per cent. of RAF personnel own their own home (66 per cent. of officers and 42 per cent. of other ranks).
	The questions in the GCAS do not make it possible to determine whether an individual's wish to own a home is a factor that encourages them to leave, or remain in the service. However, officers who make an active decision to leave the RAF (by applying for PVR or exercising their right to leave at an option point), and airmen leaving, whether at the end of an engagement, by giving notice, or through PVR, are invited to complete a leavers' survey in which they are asked the importance of various factors on their decision to leave.
	Analysis of recent surveys show that there is no single reason for individuals deciding to leave the RAF and compared to other issues, accommodation factors do not rate highly for either officers or airmen. Job satisfaction, career opportunities outside the service, family stability and promotion prospects are among the main concerns.

Armed Services (Fatalities)

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many 16 to 18-year-olds in the armed services have died in service since 1982; how many died as a result of firearms accidents; and if he will specify the other causes of death.

Lewis Moonie: Since 1 January 1982 there have been 332 deaths among 16 to 18-year-olds serving in the armed forces. Of these, 50 deaths have been due to firearm discharge, 12 of which were due to accidents and 38 were due to other causes (including hostile action and suicides). Of the non-firearm discharge deaths, 156 were due to road traffic accidents, 48 were due to natural causes, and 78 were due to other injuries.

Army Recruitment

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes that would make Army life more attractive to new recruits were most commonly cited by Army personnel, when last questioned.

Lewis Moonie: The Army has been conducting the Continuous Attitude Survey (CAS) for over 20 years. It is a valuable tool in understanding the current thinking of Army personnel and is used to help manage retention, exercise duty of care and report on progress with Army and wider departmental initiatives.
	The latest survey was undertaken in March/April 2002 and sent to a 4 per cent. random sample of the trained Army (excluding Gurkhas and Full Time Reserve Service personnel); 3,978 questionnaires were sent out.
	The following changes were most commonly cited by personnel as having the potential to make Army life more attractive to recruits:
	Higher pay/better pension
	Better standards of single accommodation/accommodation in general More civilian recognised qualifications
	More adventure training.

Challenger Tanks

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many spare Challenger tank engines are held in stock by (a) his Department and (b) the UK defence industry.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence holds 105 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (CR2 MBT) engines in stock. We are not aware of any CR2 MBT engines held in stock by the United Kingdom defence industry.

Defence Disposal Agency

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the archaeological, historic and cultural heritage assets being disposed of by the Defence Disposal Agency; and what the (a) means and (b) mode of disposal are in each case.

Lewis Moonie: Items of historical interest declared surplus to the Disposal Services Agency (DSA) include ships' bells, musical instruments with insignia and official gifts. These are sold by public auction through Bonhams Auctioneers & Valuers who have conducted 17 sales since 2000 and following is a table detailing the dates of these auctions and the type of items sold. These sales were promoted by Bonhams Auctioneers & Valuers and the DSA to ensure maximum awareness.
	In 1999, the DSA conducted the disposal of wood and copper, recovered from HMS Victory during refurbishment, by competitive tender.
	
		
			 Date of sale Description of auction Lot numbers 
		
		
			 8 September 2000 Books and maps 69–73, 286–295 
			 9 October 2000 Printed books, atlases and maps 248–275 
			 4 September 2000 Furniture, carpets and works of art 163–164, 180–182 
			 2 October 2000 Furniture, carpets and works of art 194 
			 5 February 2001 Furniture, carpets and works of art 96, 98, 248–250 
			 14 May 2001 Furniture, carpets and works of art, clocks and watches 452–455 
			 25 June 2001 Furniture, carpets and works of art 100 
			 5 November 2001 Furniture, carpets and works of art, clocks and watches 476–484 
			 2 November 2000 Arms and armour, aeronautical automobilia 1246 
			 5 December 2000 Blenheim sale 577 
			 16 May 2001 Good continental ceramics and glass 96–98 
			 21 November 2001 Good continental and ceramics and glass (13)85–86 
			 17 December 2001 Silver and plated wares 37 
			 26 June 2001 Clocks and watches 266–270, 279–282 
			 14 July 2001 Traditional rivercraft and maritime 123 
			 15 August 2002 The maritime sale (14)1–52 
			 9 September 2002 Musical instruments 51–105 
		
	
	(13) Could not sell, when by private sale.
	(14) Ships' bells, etc.
	Total number between 2000–02 = 17.

Defence Fire Service

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he will introduce to modernise the Defence Fire Service; if he will make a statement on their capabilities; how many DFS establishments there are in the UK; how many fire engines and specialist teams are available; and what proposals he has to increase these levels.

Adam Ingram: A major review of the Defence Fire Services, known as the Ministry of Defence Fire Study 2000, has been under way for the past two years. This study, tasked to make recommendations on the most effective fire service for the future has recently been completed and the final report is imminent. It is expected to identify a number of modernisation initiatives for the organization of the Defence Fire Services. In parallel to this study, the Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP), encompassing the Defence Fire Services, is seeking to achieve the most viable and cost-effective solution for the provision of airfield support, with options that include both public-private partnership and in-house solutions. The result of Fire Study 2000 efficiencies will be used to inform the Public Sector Comparator for the ASSP.
	The Defence Fire Services, including the civilian and military components, are fully capable of meeting their defence role and are equipped with the latest state of the art technology. There are 71 establishments in the United Kingdom with 169 fire engines and there are no plans at present to increase these numbers. There are no specialist teams within the Defence Fire Services, with all personnel being trained to the same standard.

Departmental Jobs (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many, and what percentage, of (a) civil service, (b) executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public body jobs under the remit of his Department are located in Scotland; and how many of each have been relocated to Scotland since May 1997.

Lewis Moonie: The information for the civil servants and the executive agencies is shown below as at October 2002 and April 1997 (closest data available to May 1997). The non-departmental public bodies data is shown as at October 2002 and April 1998 (closest data available to May 1997). Information on relocations is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	
		(FTE) 
		
			   Executive Agencies(15) Civil Servants(16) Non departmental public bodies(17)  
			  April 1997 October 2002 April 1997 October 2002 April 1998 October 2002 
		
		
			 Scotland 6,401 5,296 3,223 3,148 0 0 
			 Not Scotland 54,649 43,436 42,611 35,038 344 387 
			 Total 61,050 48,732 45,834 38,186 344 387 
			
			 Percentage Scotland 10.5 10.9 7.0 8.2 0.0 0.0 
		
	
	Notes
	(15) The Ministry of Defence does not centrally hold information on the number of jobs or posts within its organisation and the equivalent number of people is shown as the nearest comparator.
	(16) Figures include foil time equivalent numbers for individuals working part time.
	(17) Figures are individually rounded and may not sum precisely to the totals shown.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to be able to make a statement on the recent crash of a pre-production Eurofighter Typhoon in Spain.

Lewis Moonie: [holding answer 26 November 2002):We very much regret the accident involving a Typhoon Development (not pre-production) aircraft last week but are relieved that both aircrew survived. It is too early to speculate on the cause or implications of the accident.

Fire Service Cover

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what special training has been given to civilian firefighters to work with the armed services in the event of chemical, biological or radiological attack against the United Kingdom; and whether such skills are shared by service personnel substituting for civilian firefighters on strike.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has no responsibility for the training given to civilian firefighters.
	During periods of industrial action, armed forces personnel will provide emergency fire and rescue cover. This will include a capability to handle hazardous materials and decontamination. Other contingency plans are in place for responding to a chemical, biological or radiological attack.

Fire Service Cover

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he made after 11 September 2001 of the role of civilian firefighters in the event of terrorist attack against military targets in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  what discussions there have been between his Department and firefighters' leaders on action to be taken by striking firefighters in the event of a terrorist attack against military installations in the United Kingdom;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the impact of industrial action by firefighters on their response times in the event of a terrorist attack against military targets in the United Kingdom.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 25 November 2002
	Civil firefighters clearly have a role to play in responding to terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom, whether the attack is against a civil or military target. The nature of their response and arrangements during industrial action is a matter for the FBU, local authorities and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, who have responsibility for fire services. The Ministry of Defence welcomes the protocol agreed between these parties relating to the response to a terrorist incident during periods of industrial action.

Fire Service Cover

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many military personnel manning Green Goddess applicances have been drawn from units usually employed on security duties at military bases in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  what overall assessment he has made of the implications of industrial action by firefighters on the safety and security of military installations in the United Kingdom.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 25 November 2002
	Security at military establishments is provided by trained military personnel based there, the Ministry of Defence Guard Service, the MOD Police (MDP) or a combination of the three. Neither the MOD Guard Service nor the MDP personnel are involved in providing emergency fire and rescue cover (Operation FRESCO) during the firemen's strike. Military personnel engaged in providing security do so as part of their normal daily duties and tasking is done on a rotational basis. There are no military units dedicated to providing security at military establishments.
	Armed forces personnel engaged in Operation FRESCO have been drawn from many different units and from all three Services. This has been done to help minimise the effect of withdrawing forces from their normal duties and to ensure that military core business can continue, including the provision of security at military establishments. Security at those establishments has not been compromised.

HMNLS Rotterdam

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK operations and training exercises HMNLS Rotterdam has participated in the past two years; and which British personnel were embarked on the ship.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom/Netherlands Amphibious Group, formed 29 years ago, enjoys a unique, close and historic working relationship in NATO and the European Amphibious Initiative, and regularly shares assets and a unified command.
	In the past two years HNLMS ROTTERDAM has participated in the routine training deployments ARGONAUT 00 and ARGONAUT 02 which took place between mid-September to late-November 2000 and early-September to early- November 2002 respectively. HNLMS ROTTERDAM'S participation in the former was curtailed when she was called to undertake national tasking. For completeness, HNLMS ROTTERDAM has also participated in the following NATO exercises with UK involvement and/or where UK personnel have been embarked on the ship:
	a. NATO exercise DESTINED GLORY 01 during which 845 Squadron (five x Sea King Mk4 and some 70 squadron personnel) embarked during the period October to November 2001 to provide lift for the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (RNLMC).
	b. NATO exercise DESTINED GLORY 02, the main focus of the ARGONAUT 02 deployment. During the exercise, and in his NATO role, Commander United Kingdom Netherlands Amphibious Group (COMUKNLPHIBGRU), a RN Commodore, together with 173 UK personnel (constituting 34 per cent. of the ship's company) and four Sea King Mk4 from 845 Squadron providing lift for the RNLMC, embarked in ROTTERDAM between September to November 2002.

Iraq

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions (a) coalition aircraft and (b) UK aircraft patrolling the southern no-fly zone in Iraq have (i) detected violations of the no-fly zones, (ii) detected a direct threat to a coalition aircraft and (iii) released ordnance in each month since March, stating for each month the tonnage released; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is currently available only up to and including 13 November.
	(i) No-fly zone (NFZ) violations are detected in several ways. I am withholding details of detection methods in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The number of violations recorded, by month, in the southern No Fly Zone, is as follows:
	
		
			 Month Number of violations recorded 
		
		
			 March 0 
			 April 1 
			 May 0 
			 June 1 
			 July 1 
			 August 0 
			 September 3 
			 October 2 
			 November 0 
		
	
	(ii) Coalition aircraft recorded threats on a total of 143 occasions, as follows:
	
		
			 Month Coalition aircraft recorded threats 
		
		
			 March 0 
			 April 1 
			 May 20 
			 June 13 
			 July 30 
			 August 15 
			 September 41 
			 October 14 
			 November 9 
		
	
	Note:
	We do not hold separate threat figures for individual nations' aircraft.
	(iii) (a) Coalition aircraft in the southern NFZ responded in self defence against Iraqi Air Defence targets on 41 occasions in the period from 1 March to 13 November, and released 126.4 tons of ordnance.
	
		
			 Month Responses conducted in self defence Tonnage of ordnance released 
		
		
			 March 0 0 
			 April 1 0.3 
			 May 5 7.3 
			 June 3 10.4 
			 July 5 9.5 
			 August 8 14.1 
			 September 10 54.6 
			 October 6 17.7 
			 November 3 12.5 
		
	
	(iii) (b) Of these totals, UK aircraft responded on 17 occasions and released 46 tons of ordnance:
	
		
			 Month Responses conducted in self defence Tonnage of ordnance released 
		
		
			 March 0 0 
			 April 0 0 
			 May 2 4.9 
			 June 2 2.2 
			 July 1 3.2 
			 August 2 3.2 
			 September 6 21.1 
			 October 4 11.4 
			 November 0 0

Kenya

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the viability of contracting out the (a) locating and (b) clearing of unexploded ordnance at the Archers Post training ground in Kenya.

Adam Ingram: While some Non-Government Organisations and firms have approached the Ministry of Defence with broad offers to assist with Explosive Ordnance Clearance operations currently carried out by the British Army in Kenya, it is considered that this task can be more competently and comprehensively conducted by specialist Royal Engineer Explosive Ordnance Disposal units. Moreover, given the testing climatic environment, there is considerable training value in such clearance operations being carried out by the units involved.

Kenya

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what clearance techniques for removing unexploded ordnance are met at Archers Post, Kenya;
	(2)  what surveying techniques are used by the Army in locating unexploded ordnance to be cleared at Archers Post, Kenya.

Adam Ingram: After firing of ordnance British Army units training at Archers Post commence a visual search of the surface of the training area with the object of recording and clearing any Xblind" or unexploded munitions before leaving the area. The techniques employed observe and adhere to extant British Army practices and regulations for the disposal of munitions. These procedures are applicable on all sites where the British Army trains throughout the world.

Kenya

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has held with the Kenyan Government about the future clearance of unexploded ordnance on land in Kenya made for military training by British forces;
	(2)  how long the clean up of unexploded munitions at Archers Post training site in Kenya took in the spring of (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002 operations;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement between his Department and the Kenyan Government on the clearing of unexploded ordnance at Archers Post and other training grounds in Kenya.

Adam Ingram: There is no formal agreement with the Kenyan Government specifically dealing with the clearance of unexploded ordnance from areas used by the British Army for training in Kenya. To assist the Kenyan authorities Exercise PINEAPPLE, an annual Explosive Ordnance Clearance exercise, is conducted at Archers Post and other Kenyan training areas. This is a voluntary initiative of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, undertaken in order to provide a safe training environment. The exercise is conducted in conjunction with Kenyan Army Engineers and its requirement is assessed annually. During each of the years 2000, 2001, and 2002 some four weeks were spent conducting disposals at Archers Post. We plan to repeat this in 2003.

Manning Control Reviews

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force have been subject to a manning control review in each of the last 15 years; in which regiments of the armed forces the policy of manning control has been practised over the past 15 years; and what the (i) start and (ii) end dates of the policy were;
	(2)  how many personnel who elected for premature voluntary release in each year since 1996 were issued with a manning control warning certificate beforehand.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force have distinctive manning policies that are designed to meet their different requirements. The hon. Member's question relates to the Army's practice for its non-commissioned personnel and can only be answered specifically for the Army. I shall, however, also outline the nearest equivalent Royal Navy and Royal Air Force procedures.
	Army
	I refer the hon Member to the answer given on 7 May 2002, (Official Report, column 41) which reported the Army figures for the last five years for those discharged following Manning Control review. The number of soldiers in the Army who have been discharged under Queen's Regulations paragraph 9.413 'Not required for a full army career in each of the last 15 calendar years and by regiment following a Manning Control Point review is summarised in Tables 1 and 2 respectively.
	
		Table 1: Army Manning Control Point discharges by year
		
			 Year Number MCP 
		
		
			 1988 492 
			 1989 467 
			 1990 140 
			 1991 100 
			 1992 331 
			 1993 157 
			 1994 14 
			 1995 7 
			 1996 202 
			 1997 231 
			 1998 175 
			 1999 93 
			 2000 66 
			 2001 47 
			 2002 3 
			 Total: 2,525 
		
	
	
		Table 2 Army Manning Control Point discharges by Corps and Regiments
		
			 Regiment Total 
		
		
			 Queen's Own Hussars 5 
			 Queen's Royal Irish Hussars 5 
			 13th/18th Hussars 9 
			 Royal Tank Regiment 16 
			 Royal Artillery 234 
			 Royal Engineers 300 
			 Royal Signals 216 
			 Grenadier Guards 27 
			 Coldstream Guards 21 
			 Scots Guards 8 
			 Welsh Guards 9 
			 Royal Scots 16 
			 Royal Highland Fusiliers 40 
			 King's Own Scottish Borderers 9 
			 Black Watch 23 
			 Queen's Own Highlanders 13 
			 The Highland Regiment 17 
			 The Gordon Highlanders 20 
			 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 27 
			 Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment 28 
			 The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 26 
			 Royal Anglian 18 
			 King's Own Royal Border Regiment 23 
			 The King's Regiment 22 
			 Prince of Wales Own 31 
			 Green Howards 35 
			 The Royal Irish Regiment 50 
			 Royal Irish (Home Service Full Time) 27 
			 Queen's Lancashire Regiment 36 
			 Duke of Wellington's Regiment 22 
			 Devon and Dorset Regiment 26 
			 The Cheshire Regiment 21 
			 Royal Welsh Fusiliers 29 
			 Royal Regiment of Wales 16 
			 Gloucestershire Regiment 15 
			 The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment 15 
			 The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment 16 
			 The Royal Hampshire Regiment 13 
			 The Staffordshire Regiment 47 
			 The Light Infantry 31 
			 The Royal Green Jackets 21 
			 The Parachute Regiment 12 
			 Army Air Corps 24 
			 Royal Logistics Corps 79 
			 Royal Corps of Transport 169 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 43 
			 Royal Army Ordnance Corps 78 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 352 
			 Royal Army Veterninary Corps 7 
			 Royal Pioneer Corps 11 
			 Intelligence Corps 6 
			 Army Catering Corps 82 
			 Corps of Army Music 6 
			 Women's Royal Army Corps 13 
			 Adjutant General's Corps (Staff and Personnel Corps) 19 
			 Adjutant General's Corps (Provost) 5 
			 Others 36 
			 Total: 2,525 
		
	
	While it is not possible to pinpoint the start date, research of the regulations has shown that Army Manning Control policy has been extant since at least 1952. Although the policy remains in being, as the statistics show, manning control points are used infrequently in the current manning climate.
	The information requested concerning the number of Army personnel who elected for Premature Voluntary Release in each year since 1996 and who were issued with a manning control warning certificate beforehand is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Royal Navy
	Royal Naval Ratings and RM other ranks are normally engaged on a 22-year open engagement, which may be curtailed for reasons of inadequate performance or conduct, or reduced employability for medical reasons. RN Ratings and RM other ranks may apply to extend their service beyond 22 years and will be allowed to do so when there is a service requirement. The Royal Navy does not apply a Xmanning control review" to ratings but its manning levels and rates of premature voluntary release are continuously monitored, and recruiting, training and promotion targets are set accordingly.
	Royal Air Force
	Non-commissioned engagements in the Royal Air Force are normally offered for an initial period of nine years. Individuals may apply to extend their service to a total of 12 or 15 years and will be allowed to do so when there is a Service requirement. Any further service above this is linked to promotion, for example service to 22 years is possible on promotion to corporal.

Medical Reservists

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made by his Department to compensate the NHS for medical staff called up as reservists.

Lewis Moonie: Like all other employers, health trusts may apply for financial assistance to cover the additional costs they incur as a result of their employees being called out. Payments are made in accordance with the regulations set out in Statutory Instrument 1997/309.

Naval Vessels (Refit and Repair)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those Royal Navy vessels not in service as a result of (a) refits and (b) repairs, together with their anticipated dates to re-enter service.

Adam Ingram: In the majority of cases, it is not possible to separate those Royal Navy vessels undergoing repair from those in refit, other than arbitrarily, as all refits and other programmed maintenance periods contain an element of repair work. However, listed in the table are those vessels that, because they are undergoing some form of refit, maintenance or repair, are currently not available for operational tasking. Vessels that can be categorised as solely undergoing repair have been indicated.
	
		
			 RN vessel Anticipated return to service date 
		
		
			 HMS Brecon February 2003 
			 HMS Campbeltown March 2003 
			 HMS Cattistock(18) (19)— 
			 HMS Chiddingfold May 2003 
			 HMS Exploit December 2002 
			 HMS Glasgow January/February 2003 
			 HMS Gloucester July 2003 
			 HMS Illustrious February 2005 
			 HMS Invincible May 2003 
			 HMS Middleton February 2003 
			 HMS Montrose February 2004 
			 HMS Monmouth May 2003 
			 HMS Penzance February 2003 
			 HMS Ocean(18) December 2002 
			 HMS Pursuer December 2002 
			 HMS St. Albans January 2003 
			 HMS Sceptre Second quarter 2003 
			 HMS Spartan First quarter 2003 
			 HMS Tracker December 2002 
			 HMS Trafalgar First quarter 2004 
			 HMS Trenchant Fourth quarter 2003 
			 HMS Triumph(18) Fourth quarter 2002 
			 HMS Vanguard Third quarter 2004 
		
	
	(18) Out of service for repair.
	(19) Damage sustained on 23 November still being surveyed—too soon to say how long her repairs will take.
	In addition, HMS Nottingham is currently in transit to the United Kingdom on a Heavy Lift Ship following her grounding incident off the west coast of Australia in July this year. No decision has yet been made on her future.

Operation Sandcastle

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many statements were taken and in which countries in connection with Operation Sandcastle; and if he will place the report of 31 March 1992 in the Library.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 18 November 2002
	According to records held by the Ministry of Defence, 1,868 potential witnesses were traced and interviewed during the course of Operation Sandcastle by the Royal Military Police. During the course of their investigation they recorded 1,056 individual questionnaires and collected a further 725 statements (including those made by British citizens held as Prisoners of War by the Iraqis).
	Our records do not detail in which countries those interviews were conducted but I understand that most were conducted in the United Kingdom and Kuwait as well as other Gulf States.
	This report contains the confidential statements of individuals who witnessed or were subject to alleged acts of Iraqi brutality during the Gulf War, and the Ministry of Defence has a duty to protect the confidentiality of those who co-operated with the Royal Military Police. I am therefore withholding the report under Exemption 14 (Information given in confidence) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Outreach Programmes

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding from his Department has been provided for Outreach programmes run by ACFA in the financial year 2001–02; what will be provided in financial years (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 November 2002
	Outreach is a Youth and Community project, administered by the Army Cadet Force Association. The project receives funding from three separate Government Departments: the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and the Department for Education and Skills. Funding for the project has been confirmed between 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. A final decision on the level of funding for 2004–05 has yet to be made. The funding currently allocated by these Departments is as follows:
	
		£000 
		
			 Financial year Ministry of Defence Home Office Department for Education and Skills 
		
		
			 2001–02 60 60 20 
			 2002–03 60 60 34 
			 2003–04 60 60 34

PFI Contracts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the PFI contracts for (a) the Germany white fleet, (b) MHE vehicles and (c) the RAF white fleet; when the contracts were completed; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Spend and completion dates for the specified PFI contracts are as follows:
	Germany white fleet—total spend to date £87.8 million; the contract is due for completion in March 2004.
	MHE Vehicles—total spend was £16.4 minion; the contract was completed in August 2002.
	RAF white fleet—total spend to date £65 million; the contract has been
	extended to run until negotiations for its re-let are concluded.

PFI Contracts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the PFI contracts for (a) the hazardous stores information system, (b) the Yeovilton family quarters, (c) DFTS, (d) electronic messaging service (Armymail), (e) the Hawk simulator, (f) Tidworth water and sewerage, (g) DHFS (Helicopter Flying School) and (h) TAFMIS (IT); whether the contracts are on schedule; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Self-inflicted Injuries

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) members and (b) employees of each of Her Majesty's armed forces are perceived to have died through self-inflicted injuries in (i) Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) Germany and (iv) other overseas postings in each year since 1990.

Lewis Moonie: Between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2001 there have been 326 coroner confirmed suicides and coroners' open verdicts recorded for serving members of the Regular Armed Forces. No information is centrally held on suicides among civilian employees of her Majesty's Armed Forces. The following table breaks these down by location and year, and includes 285 coroner confirmed suicides and 41 open verdicts. Suicide and open verdicts for 1995 and later are subject to change as outstanding coroners' verdicts are confirmed. This could lead to significant increases, particularly for 1999 and later.
	
		Suicides and open verdicts: Regular Armed Forces personnel by location: 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2001(20)
		
			  Location  
			 Year of death Great Britain(21) Northern Ireland Germany (BAOR) Other Grand total 
		
		
			 1990 32 3 8 1 44 
			 1991 24 2 8 5 39 
			 1992 17 4 9 3 33 
			 1993 23 2 5 2 32 
			 1994 19 3 6 2 30 
			 1995 14 8 4 3 29 
			 1996 18 3 2 3 26 
			 1997 22 1 2 0 25 
			 1998 12 0 4 0 16 
			 1999 16 0 1 0 17 
			 2000 22 1 1 3 27 
			 2001 7 0 1 0 8 
			 Grand total 226 27 51 22 326 
		
	
	(20) Figures for suicides and open verdicts are subject to revision as further coroner's verdicts are reported to DASA
	(21) Great Britain included UK waters and North Atlantic
	Note:
	As at 15 November 2002

Service Careers

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of armed forces personnel who sign on for 22 years reached the 22-year point of their service in each of the last 15 years.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 25 November 2002
	It is not possible to identify the original population who signed on for 22 years and as a result figures cannot be provided as percentages. The number of United Kingdom regular other ranks personnel who have left the armed forces having served 22 years or more are as follows.
	
		
			Service  
			 Financial year Naval(22) Army(23) RAF(24) 
		
		
			 1986–87 - 2,266 524 
			 1987–88 - 2,316 523 
			 1988–89 - 2,259 518 
			 1989–90 - 1,950 538 
			 1990–91 - 1,852 543 
			 1991–92 - 2,134 658 
			 1992–93 - 2,695 698 
			 1993–94 - 2,997 628 
			 1994–95 - 2,459 412 
			 1995–96 - 1,935 349 
			 1996–97 73 1,486 373 
			 1997–98 38 1,440 310 
			 1998–99 31 1,490 323 
			 1999–2000 45 1,690 346 
			 2000–01 44 1,727 367 
			 2000–02 50 1,782 457 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The naval service data shown include all exit reasons after the 22-year point and include five personnel who signed on for more than 22 years originally. Only six years of back data are available. These figures include RM and QARNNS.
	2. For the army the personnel involved will have joined between 1965 and 1980. During this period all soldiers signed on for a 22-year engagement. There have been some amendments to the 22-year engagement which are explained as follows:
	(a) From 1952 to 1957. The 22-year engagement was introduced on 1 May 1952. All soldiers enlisting on this engagement had the right to opt out at the end of three years'
	service or any subsequent period of three years. The right to premature release on repayment, which had been introduced in 1948, was continued.
	(b) From 1957. With effect from 1 October 1957, the three-year option was abolished apart for entrants into certain services and the foot guards.
	(c) From 1969. From 1 April 1969,the three-year option was re-introduced, except for certain skilled employments.
	Soldiers who signed up for 22 years but were commissioned before the end of the engagement period and have subsequently served additional years have not been included in these totals. The 22-year period has no special significance once a soldier has gained a 'Late Entry' commission.
	3. For RAF airmen the 22-year exit point is the first exit point at which they receive an immediate pension on exit. There are three further option points to which personnel can continue to serve-Age 47, Length of Service 30 and Age 55. Eligibility for further service to these points will be dependent on achieving certain ranks.

Submarines

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when and which submarines were (a) commissioned, (b) decommissioned, (c) sold for continuing operational use and (d) scrapped since 1980.

Lewis Moonie: The submarines that have been commissioned, decommissioned, sold for continuing use and scrapped since 1980 are:
	
		
			 Submarine Class Commissioned date (a) Decommissioned date (b) Sold for continued operational service (c) Scrapped (d) 
		
		
			 Cachalot SSK — 1980 — 1980 
			 Finwhale SSK — 1988 — 1988 
			 Grampus SSK — 1980 — 1980 
			 Narwhal SSK — 1983 — (22)1983 
			 Porpoise SSK — 1982 — (22)1985 
			 Sealion SSK — 1987 — 1990 
			 Walrus SSK — 1986 — 1987 
			 Oberon SSK — 1986 — 1991 
			 Olympus SSK — 1989 (23)1989 — 
			 Orpheus SSK — 1991 — (22)1991 
			 Odin SSK — 1991 — 1991 
			 Onslaught SSK SSK — 1991 — 1991 
			 Onyx SSK SSK — 1991 — 1992 
			 Otter SSK — 1992 — (24)1992 
			 Oracle SSK — 1992 — (25)1992 
			 Osiris SSK — 1992 (23)1992 — 
			 Otus SSK — 1992 — 1992 
			 Ocelot SSK — 1992 — (24)1992 
			 Opportune SSK — 1992 — 1992 
			 Dreadnought SSN — (26)1983 — — 
			 Valiant SSN — (26)1994 — — 
			 Warspite SSN — (26)1990 — — 
			 Resolution SSBN — (26)1994 — — 
			 Repulse SSBN — (26)1996 — — 
			 Renown SSBN — (26)1996 — — 
			 Revenge SSBN — (26)1992 — — 
			 Churchill SSN — (26)1990 — — 
			 Conqueror SSN — (26)1991 — — 
			 Courageous SSN — (27)1992 — — 
			 Swiftsure SSN — (26)1991 — — 
			 Splendid SSN 1981 — — — 
			 Trafalgar SSN 1983 — — — 
			 Turbulent SSN 1984 — — — 
			 Tireless SSN 1985 — — — 
			 Torbay SSN 1987 — — — 
			 Trenchant SSN 1989 — — — 
			 Talent SSN 1990 — — — 
			 Upholder SSK 1990 1994 (28)— — 
			 Unseen SSK 1991 1994 2000 — 
			 Unicorn SSK 1993 1994 2001 — 
			 Ursula SSK 1992 1994 (29)— — 
			 Triumph SSN 1991 — — — 
			 Vanguard SSBN 1993 — — — 
			 Victorious SSBN 1995 — — — 
			 Vigilant SSBN 1996 — — — 
			 Vengeance SSBN 1999 — — — 
		
	
	(22) Used for target practice by MOD.
	(23) Sold to Canada.
	(24) Preserved in a museum.
	(25) Sold for use as spares for overseas submarines.
	(26) Stored afloat.
	(27) Exhibit in HMNB Devonport museum.
	(28) Reactivation work being carried out pending handover to Canada.
	(29) Undergoing sea trials pending handover to Canada.
	Note:
	The four Swiftsure Class Submarines, HMS Sovereign, HMS Syperb, HMS Sceptre and HMS Spartan are not shown since all were commissioned prior to 1980, and are still in service with the Royal Navy.

Timber

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what species of timber have been or are being procured for the accommodation and offices of the Colchester Garrison; who the suppliers of that timber were; and whether all the timber used or planned to be used meets the Government's requirement to procure timber from legal and sustainable sources.

Adam Ingram: It is too early in the design development process to be specific about the materials to be used in the construction.
	However, the Ministry of Defence places a contractual obligation on its suppliers to comply with the Government's policy on the supply or consumption of timber and products containing wood.

Timber

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all suppliers of timber-based board products and furniture to his Department in the last 12 months; and the total value of those items procured.

Adam Ingram: Information on timber procurement is not currently collected in the form requested. In August, the Ministry of Defence introduced a new condition of contract, which places an express contractual obligation on its suppliers to comply with the Government's policy on the supply or consumption of timber and products containing wood, and in addition, to supply data to verify that compliance.
	Data on timber procurement, generated as a result of the new condition of contract, will be used to inform the process of sustainability monitoring and reporting currently being developed as part of the departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

US Aircraft

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Pentagon about the use of US aircraft by Israel in the occupied territories.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 25 November 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has made no such representations.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Divorce (Religious Marriages)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Family Procedure Rules Committee will consider the Rules of Court required to give effect to the Divorce (Religious Marriages) Act 2002.

Rosie Winterton: It is intended that draft rules will be considered by the Rule Committee shortly and that the provisions of the Act will be brought into force in January or February 2003.

Drug Courts

John Mann: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many JPs have direct experience of drug courts.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Junior Barristers

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has received on the effect of changes in levels of public funding on the number of junior barristers there will be in five years' time.

Rosie Winterton: As part of the current review of the Family Graduated Fees Scheme, both the Bar Council and the Family Law Bar Association have raised concerns about the levels of fees and the potential impact on the number of future junior barristers. My officials are working closely with the Bar on these matters.
	No other such representations have been received on this issue.

HEALTH

Child Care

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to improve the (a) pay, (b) conditions, (c) training and (d) career prospects of staff in residential care establishments for children.

Jacqui Smith: The Government do not have direct responsibility for pay and career progression within social care. These are the responsibility of the individual employers. However we are taking a lead in developing partnerships with employers.
	The national social care recruitment campaign aims to raise awareness about the type of work social workers and social care staff actually do and the career prospects available across all aspects of social care work, including residential child care.
	The National Minimum Standards that the National Care Standards Commission is using to register and inspect children's homes includes standards for training and qualifications for residential child care staff. These start with induction training that is to be undertaken within six weeks of commencing employment and leading through foundation training to the Level 3 Caring for Children and Young People National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).
	The standards also state that the registered manager of a children's home should have either a Level 4 Care NVQ or a Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) qualification and a Level 4 NVQ in Management. The inclusion of specific qualifications within the national minimum standards helps to raise the profile of residential child care staff and lay down a career path for them.
	Funding is available through the training support programme grant and the training strategy implementation fund to help staff undertake these various levels of training. Funding is also available to enable social workers within children's homes to undertake further specialist training in the form of a post qualification in child care award.

Ambulance Personnel

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age of retirement for ambulance personnel has been over the last five years.

John Hutton: The information requested in not collected centrally.

Ambulance Personnel

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average pension received by an ambulance worker is; and what percentage of final salary an ambulance worker is entitled to after 30 years' service.

John Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally. Pension entitlement after 30 years service would normally be calculated on 30/80ths of final salary.

Anti-TNF Alpha

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidelines he has issued on the dispensing of the drug Anti-TNF Alpha; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people have been prescribed the drug Anti-TNF Alpha; and how many are on waiting lists for the drug, broken down by health authority area.

David Lammy: Guidelines on the dispensing of anti-TNF drugs were issued in March 2002 by the Iindependent National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). They recommended that consultant rheumatologists, or consultant paediatric rheumatologists in the case of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, should prescribe these drugs, in accordance with the guidelines set out by the British Society for Rheumatology and British Paediatric Rheumatology Group respectively.
	We do not hold information centrally about drugs prescribed and dispensed in hospitals, which is where these drugs are supplied. Waiting list data is not collected for individual drugs.
	On 5 December 2001, the Government announced that it would meet its manifesto commitment to ensure that patients receive drugs and treatments recommended by NICE on the National Health Service if deemed appropriate by their clinicians. Directions have been issued obliging health authorities and primary care trusts to provide appropriate funding for recommended treatments.
	From 1 January 2002 the NHS will have three months from the date of publication of each technology appraisal guidance to provide funding, so that clinical decisions made by doctors involving NICE recommended treatments or drugs can be funded.

Artificial Limbs

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of modern artificial limbs by the NHS to those whose arms require replacement.

David Lammy: holding answer 25 November 2002
	Artificial limbs are provided free of charge on the national health service. Each limb needs to be individually made and fitted for each patient. The range of NHS artificial limbs includes virtually everything that is available on the international market.

Asthma

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children suffered from asthma in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally. However information on the number of hospital episodes by age and sex in National Health Service hospitals where the primary diagnosis is asthma from 1996–97 to 2000–01 is shown in the tables.
	The International Classification of Disease 10 codes J45-J46 has been used.
	
		Ordinary admissions and day cases combined: completed episode primary diagnosis 493(ICD9 code) Diagnosis: Asthma 345–346 (ICD10)
		
			 Age Male Female Not known Persons 
		
		
			 England 1996–1997 
			 0–4 17,660 8,928 215 26,803 
			 5–14 7,449 4,893 129 12,471 
			 15–44 6,563 13,549 205 20,317 
			 Unknown 5 13 — 18 
			  
			 England 1997–1998 
			 0–4 14,114 6,888 59 21,061 
			 5–4 7,733 5,085 67 12,885 
			 15–44 7,141 14,017 113 21,271 
			 Unknown 8 4 1 13 
			  
			 England 1998–1999 
			 0–4 13,119 6,306 6 19,431 
			 5–14 7,190 4,702 4 11,896 
			 15–44 6,652 13,590 3 20,245 
			 Unknown 2 7 1 10 
			  
			 England 1999–2000 
			 0–4 11,589 5,896 8 17,493 
			 5–14 7,091 4,606 6 11,703 
			 15–44 6,351 12,424 21 18,796 
			 Unknown 7 13 — 20 
			  
			 England 2000–01 
			 0–4 9,676 4,790 114 14,580 
			 5–14 6,916 4,184 47 11,147 
			 15–44 6,219 11,763 11 17,993 
			 Unknown 22 33 2 57

Asthma

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of controlled medication for children with asthma; and what support is available to reduce the stress caused by the illness.

Jacqui Smith: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced guidance on asthma inhalers for children. In September 2000 it issued guidance on the use of inhalers for children under five. NICE also published guidance on inhaler devices for older children, age range five to 15, on 11 April 2002.
	Patients with asthma are able to access the full range of National Health Service support services in both primary and secondary care settings.
	An analysis of hospital episode statistics shows that the number of hospital admissions for asthma has been falling over the last five years.
	
		
			 Year 1996 to 1997 1997 to 1998 1998 to 1999 1999 to 2000 2000 to 2001 
		
		
			 Admissions 78,036 74,000 69,824 66,054 60,376

Business Plan

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which document he publishes his Department's business plan targets; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The priorities and targets for the next three years for the National Health Service and social services are set out in a document entitled XImprovement, Expansion and Reform: The Next 3 Years Priorities and Planning Framework 2003–2006". This document can be found on the Department's website.
	Work is also currently under way on the development of a business plan for the Department for the three-year period 2003–06; to ensure delivery of the targets contained in the Department's public service agreement. At the end of the process a Departmental business plan detailing the Department's work programme for the three-year period will be produced.

Care Home Staff

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to lay before the House the Statutory Instrument to extend the time limit for staff who were employed in care homes immediately before 1 April for obtaining checks from the CRB.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 25 November 2002
	A Statutory Instrument will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible.

Child Pornography

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on increasing resources for child protection in connection with child pornography material seized by police.

Jacqui Smith: Between 1996–97 and 2002–03, the Government increased social services funding by more than 20 per cent, in real terms, and will make further annual average real terms increases available of 6 per cent, between 2003–4 and 2005–6. The Government is spending £11 billion on personal social services this year, 2002–03. It is, however, up to local authorities with social services responsibilities, in the light of their assessments of children's needs within their area, to decide how to allocate this money.

Children (National Service Framework)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Service Framework for children to be published.

Jacqui Smith: It is intended that the children's national service framework (NSF) will be publishing the hospital standards, as announced in response to the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry. We will also be publishing a second document signposting the likely areas for inclusion in the final NSF to assist with local National Health Service planning.

Children in Care (Crime)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likelihood of children in care being convicted and sent to prison as young adults.

Jacqui Smith: Our latest data show that 10.4 per cent, of children between 10 and 17, who have been in the care of the local authority for a year or more, have received a reprimand, final warning or conviction. This represents a rate that is three times greater than for all children. Hence, the Department has a public service agreement target to narrow the gap in offending between the looked after children and their peers.
	The achievement of this target is underpinned by the Quality Protects programme, which has been supported by a grant of £885 million over five years from 1999 to 2004. This major programme seeks to ensure that looked after children gain the maximum life chance benefits from educational opportunities, health care and social care and thus have the same opportunities as their peers to lead fulfilling lives.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress is being made into the biomedical research on chronic fatigue syndrome and ME; and when NICE will provide guidance on management and treatment for patients with ME;
	(2)  when the Medical Research Council will report on their strategy for advancing biomedical and health services research on chronic fatigue syndrome and ME.

Jacqui Smith: The independent group, set up by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to develop a broad strategy for advancing biomedical and health services research on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), hope to complete their recommendations in time for submission to the MRC in March 2003. But the group has recognised that this is a tight timetable, and has agreed not to compromise the integrity and quality of their report to meet the timeframe proposed, reserving the right to extend the timescale if necessary.
	The Department endorses the view of the CFS/ME independent working group report that there should be no doubt this is a chronic illness and that health and social care professionals should recognise it as such.
	We are still considering whether to ask the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to provide guidance on management and treatment for patients with CFS/ME. In the meantime we have, through both the chief executive's bulletin and the GP Bulletin, made the National Health Service aware of the action for CFS/ME publication XGuidance on the management of CFS/ME". This is a useful summary of the issues.

Delayed Discharges

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were in (a) the first six months of 2002 and (b) 2001 at Southend General Hospital.

David Lammy: Information on delayed discharges is collected centrally and is placed in the Library but not at trust level.
	The data relate to the number and rate of people in acute hospital beds with delayed discharge at a fixed point in time.
	Before 1 April 2002 data were collected at the old health authority level. Health authorities were disbanded on 1 April 2002 and replaced with primary care trusts. Health authority level data up to and including Quarter 4 2001–02, March 2002, is available.
	For Quarter 1 2002–03, up until the end of June 2002, primary care trust level data are available.

Dementia (Care Homes)

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for funding the mental nursing needs of people suffering from dementia in care homes.

Jacqui Smith: National health service funded nursing care applies equally to care home residents, regardless of the condition they have. The important issue is the level of input into their care from a registered nurse. This applies to mental health needs as well as to the physical needs of the resident.

Departmental Grants

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the grants funded by his Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; and if he will make a statement as to (a) the total of such funding in the last financial year, (b) the total number of awards and (c) their administrative costs.

David Lammy: The Department makes grants to individuals and organisations but the information requested is not held centrally.
	The administration of grants is carried out by a number of different units within the Department, to which a range of staff make a contribution. It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of these costs.

Diabetes

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he will publish the diabetes National Service Framework implementation plan; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when a comprehensive diabetic retinopathy screening programme will be in place in England.

David Lammy: We shall be publishing the delivery strategy for the diabetes national service framework in the next few weeks. A national target for diabetic retinopathy screening is in the planning and priorities framework, XImprovement, Expansion and Reform", which sets the priorities for the national health service for the next three years. The target requires that 80 per cent. of people with diabetes will be offered screening for the early detection, and treatment if needed, of diabetic retinopathy by 2006, rising to 100 per cent. coverage of those at risk of retinopathy by the end of 2007.

Diabetes

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to make insulin pump therapy more widely available for the treatment of diabetes in children.

David Lammy: Insulin pump therapy is not suitable for every person who requires insulin to control their diabetes. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has been asked to provide an appraisal of the clinical and cost effectiveness of insulin pump therapy. This is expected to be published in February 2003.

Eye Specialists

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities do not offer patients an appointment to see an eye specialist within one month.

John Hutton: Figures are not available to assertain which health authorities do not offer patients an appointment to see an eye specialist within one month.
	The table shows the effective length of wait from receipt of a general practitioner (GP) written referral request to first outpatient attendance in weeks for the specialty ophthalmology, quarter two 2002–03, by Strategic Health Authority.
	
		
			 Strategic Health Authority Effective length of wait from receipt of GP written referral request to first outpatient attendance (weeks) ophthalmology, quarter 2 2002 to 2003 Proportion of first outpatient attendances seen within four weeks 
		
		
			  0 to 4 4 to 13 13 to 17 17 to 21 21 to 26 over 26  
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 2,926 3,744 1,266 663 105 7 33.6 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 1,278 1,708 730 555 280 108 27.4 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 2,085 4,577 1,696 820 271 54 21.9 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 3,669 3,798 1,547 929 561 99 34.6 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 460 1,537 384 240 166 55 16.2 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 758 1,842 839 738 789 50 15.1 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 2,280 2,757 956 703 534 23 31.4 
			 Essex 1,328 2,540 641 458 341 69 24.7 
			 Greater Manchester 2,812 4,298 1,322 1,015 879 64 27.1 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,114 2,934 939 480 304 2 19.3 
			 Kent and Medway 978 1,779 787 625 1,115 0 18.5 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 728 1,492 745 650 660 55 16.8 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 3,247 3,581 1,181 837 562 68 34.3 
			 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 1,469 2,034 575 506 356 27 29.6 
			 North Central London 2,108 6,608 531 448 360 76 20.8 
			 North East London 735 1,156 484 463 130 7 24.7 
			 North West London 1,279 2,036 259 275 43 0 32.9 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 990 3,839 644 224 103 9 17.0 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 1,554 1,531 523 465 861 190 30.3 
			 Somerset and Dorset 871 1,949 873 618 164 52 19.2 
			 South East London 950 2,470 800 655 589 184 16.8 
			 South West London 966 2,185 383 171 143 4 25.1 
			 South West Peninsula 1,447 2,615 526 720 784 23 23.7 
			 South Yorkshire 2,119 2,785 670 252 67 1 36.0 
			 Surrey and Sussex 2,307 4,037 1,593 1,055 794 0 23.6 
			 Thames Valley 906 2,690 957 988 286 53 15.4 
			 Trent 2,078 4,158 916 531 406 39 25.6 
			 West Yorkshire 1,774 2,868 953 857 394 54 25.7

Foreign Nurse Recruitment

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what means exist for overseas nurses recruited by agencies to report the failure of their agency to comply with the ethical foreign nurse recruitment policy.

John Hutton: Overseas nurses are able to contact the international nurses advice line for further advice and also to report their agency if they feel that the agency is not complying to the ethical recruitment policy.
	The nurses are also able to contact Work Permits UK and the Department of Trade and Industry depending on the nature of their complaint.
	Nurses who are members of unions may also seek advice from these bodies.

Home Care Charges

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to monitor changes in home care charges.

Jacqui Smith: Monitoring of the implementation of this policy is being carried out by the Department's social services inspectorate as part of a wider in-year monitoring programme. Councils were asked to indicate the stage of preparation reached at 31 May 2002 in implementing the policy. This exercise was repeated in Autumn 2002 and the results are currently being processed and should be available at the end of December 2002. The process will be repeated again in Spring 2003.

Long-term Care

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will change his policy on free provision of long-term nursing personal care.

Jacqui Smith: The Government introduced national health service funded nursing care in care homes on 1 October 2001. We do not intend to make personal care free.
	In England, in our response to the Royal Commission in the NHS plan, we stressed that personal care for everyone would be costly, and would not be guaranteed to lead to service improvements. Instead, we will invest £1 billion in social care services for older people by 2006. This will improve access to social care services, expand the capacity of these services and increase the choice of services available to older people, stabilise the care home market, and ensure that delayed discharge is reduced to a minimum.

Macular Degeneration

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NICE has made a final decision on the suitability of PDT for the treatment of macular disease.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when NICE will issue final guidance on the use of photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of photodynamic therapy has been extended to allow further consideration of the draft guidance. We expect that guidance could be available to the national health service in January 2003, providing there are no appeals.
	In the meantime, guidance issued in August 1999 to all NHS bodies asked them to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from NICE is not available at the time the technology first became available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the relevant factors including the available evidence on effect. The local introduction of photodynamic therapy under these arrangements should be funded locally.

Meals on Wheels

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Leeds West were in receipt of meals on wheels in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: In 2000–01 a reported 5,450 clients in Leeds metropolitan district received meals in their home as part of community-based services provided or commissioned by the council with social service responsibilities based on the referrals, assessments and packages of care return. Comparable data prior to 2000–01 is not readily available.
	Data for 2001–02 are not yet available.

Mental Health

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young remand prisoners have mental health problems; and what steps he is taking to assist them.

Jacqui Smith: A survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics in 1997 estimated that 95 per cent. of all young offenders in prison had some form of mental disorder. In 2000, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 96 prisoners—both remand and sentenced—between the ages of 17 and 20 were transferred to hospital on mental health grounds.
	All prisons holding juveniles or young offenders are involved in work to implement the improvements set out in Changing the Outlook, a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health Services in Prisons, published in December 2001. In addition, those prisons holding persons judged to have the greatest mental health needs will be part of the prison mental health in-reach project by March 2004.

Mental Health

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish a mental health bill; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: A draft Mental Health Bill and consultation document was published on 25 June 2002. The consultation exercise closed on 16 September and we are currently considering almost 2,000 replies. We intend to introduce a Bill as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Mental Health (Deaf Children)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) sign language workers, (b) social workers, (c) psychiatrists with sign language skills and (d) specialist psychiatrists for deaf children there were in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: The information requested is not available.
	Data collected through the training support programme grant since 1998–99 shows that the following numbers of social care workers have undertaken training to improve their skills when working with deaf and deafblind service users. It is not known whether or not they areworking with deaf children.
	
		
			  1998 to 1999 1999 to 2000 2001–2002 2001 to 2002 
		
		
			 Hearing Impairment 
			 New specialist workers 133 123 146 195 
			 Other training for specialist workers 635 538 468 527 
			 Awareness training for generalist or non-specialist workers 4,145 3,294 5,213 5,639 
			 Total 4,913 3,955 5,827 6,361 
			  
			 Deaf Blind Impairment 
			 New specialist workers 16 86 81 130 
			 Other training for specialist workers 290 143 185 293 
			 Awareness training for generalist or non-specialist workers 1,166 1,330 1,811 2,391 
			 Total 1,472 1,559 2,077 2,814

Deaf Children (Mental Health)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what residential care provision is available for deaf children with mental health problems.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not hold this data centrally.

NHS Purchasing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many department civil servants and staff of NHS purchasing offices have been to conferences paid for by pharmaceutical companies in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

David Lammy: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nursing Student Bursaries

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average value of the nursing student bursary is in terms of pounds per hour.

John Hutton: Professional registration as a nurse is achieved following successful completion of a course of higher education at either diploma of higher education or degree level. The status of trainees during their course is that of full-time students, not employees and as such they are not contracted for a specific number of hours. Overall, students are required to complete a minimum of 4,600 curricular hours, usually over a period of three years. Over that period the average financial support provided for those studying at diploma level, who make up the majority of the nursing and midwifery student population, is currently around £18,600, the
	equivalent of over £4.00 per hour of study.

Overseas Nurses

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses working for the NHS were trained abroad, for each year since 1990.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect data about the number of nurses working in the National Health Service who were trained abroad. However, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) publishes an annual statistical report which includes information about the number of nurses and midwives on the NMC register, including new registrations from abroad. Data about the number of admissions to the register each year for nurses and midwives who trained in the United Kingdom and European Community/Non EC countries for the period 1989–90 to 2000–02 can be found on the NMC website at www.nmc-uk.orq.uk.
	This data shows the success of the Department's policy on international recruitment based on international agreements. Overall nurse numbers in the NHS work force have increased by an estimated 39,500 between September 1997 and March 2002.

Paedophilia (Child Protection)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been taken into protective custody in connection with paedophilia in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.
	However, information is held centrally about the number of children looked after by local councils. From the year ending 31 March 2001, this information is collected by age and category of need, which records the main reason why the child requires assistance from his/her local social services department. One of the categories of need is abuse or neglect. However, this category spans all types of abuse and neglect and provides no information about the characteristics of the alleged abusers of the children.

Prison Health Care

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the minimum health care standard to which prisoners are entitled.

Jacqui Smith: The prison and national health services aim, in partnership, to provide prisoners with access to the same range and quality of health services as the general public receives from the national health service. The current prison service performance standard on health services for prisoners is available at www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk

Psychiatrists

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatrists there were per 100,000 people in each year since 1992.

John Hutton: As at 31 March 2002, there were 3,090 consultants within the psychiatry group, a ratio of 6.1 per 100,000 of population. This is a 24 per cent. expansion in the number of psychiatry consultants since 1997. There were also 2,801 doctors in training as at September 2001, a ratio of 5.7 per 100,000 of population. The group comprises child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, general psychiatry, old age psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychiatry of learning disability.
	Population figures are due to be updated shortly following publication of results from the 2001 population census. This will include a revised set of estimates for the years 1992 to 2000, but these figures are not yet available.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks he will put in place to ensure NHS trusts correctly represent data on hospital-acquired infections once the Public Health Laboratory Service is abolished.

David Lammy: Responsibility for co-ordinating surveillance of health care associated infections transfers from the Public Health Laboratory Service to the Health Protection Agency in April 2003, but as the national system will remain unchanged no additional checks are needed.

Quality Protects

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ringfenced budget allocations were for (a) IT projects, (b) disabled children, (c) leaving care, (d) RDWs and (e) the main grant for Quality Protects for the last three years; and what the planned expenditure is for each of the next three years.

Jacqui Smith: The table below shows the amounts ring-fenced in the last three years for improving access to information technology for children in and leaving care; services for disabled children and their families, implementing the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000; the costs of regional development workers (RDWs); and the main programme grant. The level of personal social services funding for councils for 2003–04 to 2005–06 will be announced shortly as part of the local government settlement announcements.
	
		All figures in £ million
		
			  2000 to 2001 2001 to 2002 2002 to 2003 
		
		
			 IT projects   9.5 
			 Disabled children  15 15 
			 Leaving Care(30)  128 298 
			 RDWs(31) 0.75 1 1 
			 Main grant 117.75 147.25 138 
		
	
	Notes:
	(30) The ring-fence for Leaving Care in 2001–02 covered only the second half of the year, i.e. from implementation of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 on 1 October 2001. Funding to assist councils in preparing for implementation was included in the main grant.
	(31) As well as the costs of employing the RDWs and their assistants, the amount shown for RDWs also covers other development work including part funding for the Education Protects implementation team, who are helping councils implement the joint Department for Education and Skills and Department of Health Guidance on the Education of Children and Young People in Public Care.

Schizophrenia

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients with schizophrenia suffered relapses within one year of receiving treatment in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not hold this information centrally.

Schizophrenia

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards implementing NICE guidance on the use of atypical antipsychotic medicine for schizophrenia; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 25 November 2002
	Detailed assessment of the implementation of individual items of National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance is only possible at a local level. Comprehensive information is not collected centrally.

Silicon Cosmesis

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, out of the baseline allocation for silicon cosmesis for artificial limbs (a) in 2001–02, £418,142 and (b) in 2002–03, £1,317,159 was not spent on such provision.

David Lammy: holding answer 21 November 2002
	Baseline allocations of £0.5 million in 2001–02, £1.5 million in 2002–03 and £2.0 million in 2003–04 were expected to be used for the provision of silicone cosmesis for artificial limbs. Spending on silicone cosmesis through the national health service purchasing and supply agency was £81,858 for 2001–02, and £182,841 so far in 2002–03. The baseline allocation for 2002–03 was for the whole financial year; the spending recorded so far relates to the first half of that year. It will not be possible to provide full-year spending figures for 2002–03 until after the end of that year.

Specialised Health Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the members are of the small oversight review group that has been convened in order to consider questions from the review on commissioning specialised services from a national perspective; and whether the group has met.

David Lammy: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The following organisations were invited to send representatives to the 10 September national review group meeting:
	The Academy of Royal Medical Colleges
	The Royal College of Nursing
	The Joint Consultants' Committee
	Regional specialised commissioning groups
	Strategic health authorities
	Primary care trusts
	National health service trusts
	Patients' organisations
	Observers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act

John Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether, in the context of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, existing and properly constituted management limited companies may convert themselves into RTMs, limited by guarantee, by special resolution; and what guidance he has issued on the changes that might need to be made to their memoranda and articles:

Tony McNulty: Yes.
	Section 73(2) of the Act specifies that a company is a Right To Manage (RTM) company in relation to premises if:
	it is a private company limited by guarantee, and
	its memorandum of association states that its object, or one of its objects, is the acquisition and exercise of the right to manage the premises.
	Section 74 of the Act provides a power to prescribe the Memorandum and Articles of Association for a RTM company, and we are currently consulting on the form this prescription should take.
	Once the draft regulations have been finalised and brought into force, an existing company limited by guarantee could, by special resolution under the Companies Act 1985 change its objects clause to include the RTM object and adopt the prescribed Memorandum and Articles. In addition, the regulations may provide that certain of the prescribed memorandum and articles will have effect for an RTM company irrespective of whether or not it has adopted them.
	However, in order for a RTM company to actually exercise and acquire the right to manage for a building, the membership of that company and the premises itself must meet the qualifying conditions as laid down by sections 72–75 of the Act.
	Finally, while we have yet to produce guidance on RTM this will be available when the RTM provisions come into force. It will include all aspects of exercising and acquiring RTM.

Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act

John Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to introduce regulations bringing Part 2 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 into operation.

Tony McNulty: The first tranche of regulations on leasehold reform came into force on 26 July this year, making it is easier for leaseholders to buy the freehold of their property, extend their leases and seek the appointment of a new manager in tripartite leases.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to make and lay the remaining regulations on Leasehold Reform in two stages, in spring and autumn 2003. Regulations on right to manage, safeguards against forfeiture, new powers for leasehold valuation tribunals and changes relating to contracts and major works will be laid in spring and should be operational by summer 2003. Regulations on accounting procedures will be laid by autumn next year and operational three months later.

Affordable Housing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many units of affordable housing have been built in the Beaconsfield constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Figures for the Beaconsfield constituency are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number of dwellings built by Registered Social Landlords and the local authority in south Buckinghamshire district in the last five years are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Year Number of dwellings 
		
		
			 1997–98 6 
			 1998–99 0 
			 1999–2000 8 
			 2000–01 26 
			 2001–02 11

Arson

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on reasons for which data are not available beyond 2000 for the number of malicious fires attended by local authority fire brigades.

Christopher Leslie: The latest annual data were published in XFire Statistics, UK, 2000" in February 2002. The Statistical Bulletin (XFire Statistics Estimates, UK, 2001") covering the most recent data will be published as soon as it is available, as required under the ONS Code of Practice for National Statistics.
	The data in the bulletin are compiled from statistical returns covering some 950,000 fire-related incidents, and are subject to quality control procedures before inputting. The time taken to process and publish is not unusual for complex data collection exercises of this kind.

Civil Partnership Registration

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he is making with his analysis of the implications of civil partnership registration and associated rights and responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
	Civil partnership registration and associated rights and responsibilities raise a number of complex issues, which have prompted a growing debate within society.
	These issues potentially have significant financial and administrative implications. The Government is now examining the issues in detail and DTI co-ordinates this work across all Government Departments with an interest in the issues raised by civil partnerships.
	As you will understand, the Government cannot commit itself to any changes without conducting a comprehensive analysis of the relevant rights and responsibilities, to provide a better understanding of their potential impact.

Clinical and Medical Waste

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the definition of clinical and medical waste in the context of special collections by local authorities.

Michael Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
	Clinical waste is defined in XThe Controlled Waste Regulations 1992" as any waste which consists wholly or partly of human or animal tissue, blood or other body fluids, excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or dressings, or syringes, needles or other sharp instruments, being waste which unless rendered safe may prove hazardous to any person coming into contact with it; and any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice, investigation, treatment, care, teaching or research, or the collection of blood for transfusion, being waste which may cause infection to any person coming into contact with it.
	Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are obliged to collect clinical waste generated in the home where the householder asks them to do so. Local authorities may make a charge for these collections. Where someone is receiving healthcare treatment at home, it is the responsibility of the healthcare professional to assess whether waste arising from their illness and treatment poses a risk of infection and should therefore be treated as clinical waste.

Council Housing, Cherwell

Tony Baldry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet the hon. Member for Banbury and a delegation from Cherwell district council and representatives of local tenants groups to discuss the future of council housing in Cherwell.

Tony McNulty: The future of Cherwell's council housing will be decided by the tenants and the councillors of the district council who are currently looking at the large scale voluntary transfer of stock option. As with all local authorities, options available for the future management of council housing include: the council retaining ownership and management of its housing stock, large/small scale voluntary transfer, arms length management and the Private Finance Initiative. The Community Housing Task Force have been working with Cherwell district council to help advise on the option appraisal process. At present a meeting would not bring forward any alternatives that have not already been covered.

English Committee of Regions

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who the members are of the Committee for English Regions; who funds the Committee; and who is responsible for the Campaign for the English Regions.

Christopher Leslie: I am not aware of any organisation called the XCommittee for English Regions". There is, however, a Regional Affairs Standing Committee and a EU Committee of the Regions. The former is funded by Parliament and its members are.
	
		
			 Name Constituency Party 
		
		
			 Candy Atherton Falmouth & Cambourne Labour 
			 Henry Bellingham North West Norfolk Conservative 
			 Karen Buck Regent's Park & Kensington North Labour 
			 Louise Ellman Liverpool Riverside Labour 
			 Nigel Evans Ribble Valley Conservative 
			 Andrew George St Ives Liberal Democrat 
			 Norman Lamb North Norfolk Liberal Democrat 
			 John Mann Bassetlaw Labour 
			 Denis Murphy Wansbeck Labour 
			 Ian Pearson Dudley South Labour 
			 Lawrie Qinn Scarborough & Whitby Labour 
			 Anthony Steen Totnes Conservative 
			 Derek Wyatt Sittingbourne & Sheppey Labour 
		
	
	The Chair is selected from the Chairman's Panel and will vary from meeting to meeting.
	The EU Committee of the Regions has 16 full members from England. It is funded by the EU. The full members from England are.
	
		
			 Full Members Region Authority Party 
		
		
			 Derek Boden North West Bury (Metropolitan District) Labour 
			 Michael Davey North East Northumberland (County) Labour 
			 The hon. Joan Taylor East Midlands Nottinghamshire (County) Labour 
			 Muriel Barker Yorkshire & Humberside North East Lincolnshire (Unitary) Labour 
			 Albert Bore West Midlands Birmingham (Metropolitan District) Labour 
			 Ken Bodfish QBE South East Brighton & Hove (Unitary) Labour 
			 Dame Sally Powell DBE London Hammersmith and Fulham (London) Labour 
			 Margaret Eaton Yorkshire and Humberside Bradford (Metropolitan District) Conservative 
			 Gordon Keymer South East Tandridge (District) Conservative 
			 Sir Simon Day South West Devon (County) Conservative 
			 The rt hon The Lord Hanningfield DL East Essex (County) Conservative 
			 The Baroness (Joan) Hanham CBE London Kensington and Chelsea (London) Conservative 
			 Ruth Coleman South West North Wiltshire (District) Liberal Democrat 
			 Lord Tope CBE London Sutton (London) Liberal Democrat 
			 Peter Moore Yorkshire & Humberside Sheffield (Metropolitan District) Liberal Democrat 
			 Milner Whiteman West Midlands Bridgnorth (District) Independent 
		
	
	The Campaign for the English Regions is an independent body, receiving no central Government funding, which aims to secure a commitment to regional government from all political parties.

Fire Service

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which fire brigades are organised around the need to respond to fire incidents.

Christopher Leslie: All fire authorities have a duty under section 1(1) of the Fire Services Act 1947 to make provision for fire-fighting purposes, including securing for their area the services of a fire brigade and equipment necessary to meet efficiently all normal requirements.

Firefighters

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many former firefighters are on retirement pensions; and how many firefighters there are in service.

Christopher Leslie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This is a matter for each individual fire authority. It is estimated that in England and Wales there are over 22,000 former firefighters receiving ordinary and ill-health pensions. The number of regular wholetime firefighters eligible for membership of the pension scheme on 31 March 2001, the last date for which figures are available, was 33375.

Firefighters

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average age of retirement for firefighters has been over the last five years.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Firefighters

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average pension received by a firefighter is; what percentage of final salary a firefighter is entitled to after 30 years service; and what the average work-related pension received by a pensioner is.

Christopher Leslie: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is a matter for each fire authority. An analysis of a small sample of brigades at 31 March 2002 suggests that the average ill-health pension is 9,200 per annum, and the average ordinary pension is 11,300 per annum. The percentage of final salary a firefighter is entitled to after 30 years service is 66 per cent. The median income from occupational pensions for single pensioners in 2000–01 was £2,392 per annum.

Firefighters

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of the revenue of the fire service the present pension arrangements cost.

Christopher Leslie: Based on provisional outturn figures for fire authorities in England, the net total of payments under the firefighters' pension scheme for 2001–02 was approximately 16 per cent. of net budgeted expenditure.

Homelessness (Leeds)

John Battle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his latest estimate of the number of street homeless in Leeds is.

Barbara Roche: The latest estimate was published in September 2002 and a copy was placed in the Library of the House. It stood at eight.

Housing Development

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many applications have been approved for development on green-belt land in each year since June 1997 in each local authority area; and what locations were involved.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 November 2002, Official Report, column 413W

IT Security

Brian White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to review the security of the Department's IT system; and how many digital attacks there were on the Department's system in (a) October and (b) 2002.

Christopher Leslie: The security of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's IT system is kept under constant review. Separate figures are not available for the number of Xdigital attacks" (such as computer viruses detected) on the Office's IT system, as the Office shares with the Department for Transport the IT network of their predecessor (the Department for Transport, Local Government, and the Regions). For that IT network, the number of computer viruses detected was (a) 18 in October and (b) 266 in 2002 up to the end of October.

Local Government Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of aggregate standard spending assessments across local authorities in England were financed by aggregate total external support in each year since 1993–94.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested can be found in the table.
	
		Standard Total External Support Spending Assessment (SSA)
		
			  (£) million (£) million percentage 
		
		
			 2002–03 49,762 40,323 81.0 
			 2001–02 48,792 40,067 82.1 
			 2000–01 46,690 38,526 82.5 
			 1999–00 44,733 37,123 83.0 
			 1998–99 42,668 35,575 83.4 
			 1997–98 40,563 34,101 84.1 
			 1996–97 40,157 34,140 85.0 
			 1995–96 38,743 32,727 84.5 
			 1994–95 37,848 29,444 77.8 
			 1993–94 36,622 28,592 78.1 
		
	
	Total external support consists of revenue support grant to local authorities, redistributed national non-domestic rates, central support protection grant and SSA reduction grant. For 1995/96 onwards it also includes principal formula police grant including the Metropolitan special payment and police transitional grant. Prior to 1995/96 the Home Office funded 51 per cent.of police expenditure. Total external support excludes the City of London offset and the grant to specified bodies.

Local Government Structures

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to change the number of (a) local authorities and (b) elected representatives in reviewing local government in England following the establishment of elected regional assemblies; and what assessment he has made of the consequential effect of regional government on devolution.

Nick Raynsford: Where an elected regional assembly is established, existing two tier local government will be restructured as unitary authorities following recommendations made by the Boundary Committee. The responsibility for electoral arrangements, including the numbers of Councillors, in any new structure will be a matter for the Electoral Commission.
	Paragraph 8.9 of the White Paper on Regional Governance said that some elected regional assemblies in England may need to consider the impact of their activities on Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, and establish appropriate relationships with the devolved administrations and other relevant Scottish or Welsh bodies. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will have reserve powers to intervene if he or she considers that an assembly's strategies or actions are likely to have a detrimental impact on another region, Scotland, Wales, or the UK as a whole.

Local Government Structures

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Government's policy is on the future number of tiers of local government in England; what assessment he has made of the effect of a review of local government on the stability of local authority finance and administration; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Policy for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is that where an elected regional assembly is established, following a referendum in the region, there should only be a single tier of local government. The financial and administrative impact of local government reviews will depend on the structure and boundary changes proposed, and it will be for the Boundary Committee to assess this when it makes recommendation for change.

New Towns (South-East)

Dave Watts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact the creation of the proposed three new towns in the south east will have on public expenditure; what the cost will be of providing (a) transport, (b) schools, (c) housing, (d) health and (e) other infrastructure to the three towns; and what impact public funding for the new towns will have on other regions.

Tony McNulty: In his statement to the House in July, the Deputy Prime Minister set out the Government's intentions for tackling the housing shortage in London and the south east. Studies of the potential for growth have been published for the Milton Keynes/South Midlands area and the London-Stansted-Cambridge area, and the Ashford study is due for publication imminently. These studies give some indication of the infrastructure that will be needed to support growth but what is needed will clearly be dependent on the scale of growth and where it is located. Over the coming months the Government, taking account of these studies, will work with regional and local partners in each of the areas to establish where, at what scale, and how quickly growth can be achieved. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will set out next steps when, early in the New Year, he makes a statement to the House on his comprehensive long-term programme of action for sustainable communities, as promised in his statement on 18 July.

Right to Buy

Peter Pike: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to review right to buy; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has indicated publicly that we are concerned about the impact of right to buy sales in areas of housing pressure, and that we will act to address this. We are also concerned about exploitation of the rules of the scheme, and announced earlier this year that researchers at Heriot-Watt university have been commissioned to investigate the scale, nature and impact of such exploitation. The results are expected by the end of this year and will be published thereafter.

Right to Buy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the sources of the anecdotal evidence he has evaluated that the right to buy rules were being exploited in some areas.

Tony McNulty: No. The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The results of the research by Heriot-Watt University into the scale, nature and impact of such exploitation are expected by the end of this year, and will be published thereafter.

Right to Buy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions Ministers and officials of his Department have held with the research team at Heriot-Watt University investigating the right to buy scheme; what was discussed at each meeting; who attended; and when each meeting took place.

Tony McNulty: This research project is subject to normal project management procedures and disciplines operated by professional and policy officials. It is subject to review by a stakeholder group drawn from housing practitioners and representatives of lending institutions and local government.
	The results are expected by the end of this year, and will be published thereafter.

Wakefield Metropolitan District

Jon Trickett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the percentage increase in (a) SSA, (b) expenditure (revenue and capital) and (c) government grant for Wakefield MDC in the 10 years from May 1992; and what the comparable statistics are for aggregate local government expenditure.

Nick Raynsford: The information available is presented in the table.
	
		
			  1992 to 93 (£) million 2002 to 03 (£) million percentage increase 
		
		
			 Wakefield 
			 SSA 207 283 36.8 
			 Revenue Expenditure 229 328 43.2 
			 Capital Expenditure 35 44 24.4 
			 Government Grants 176 252 43.7 
			 All England 
			 SSA 37,993 53,570 41.0 
			 Revenue expenditure 41,925 65,252 55.6 
			 Capital expenditure 6,568 10,859 65.3 
			 Government grants 32,859 47970 46.0 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Figures between 1992/93 and 2002/03 and between Wakefield and England are not directly comparable for the following reasons.
	a) In 1992/93 Revenue Support Grant (RSG) and National Non-Domestic Rate (NNDR) amounts were paid only to billing authorities. Consequently, the amounts shown for Wakefield cover all services including Police and Fire. From 1993/94 onwards, support for Police and Fire was paid directly to the relevant Police and Fire Authorities. The figures for England do include Police and Fire for both 1992/92 and 2002/03.
	b) There have been changes in the responsibilities of local authorities.
	c) In 1992/93, only information on RSG, NNDR and Specific Grants inside AEF are available on a consistent basis.
	2. The revenue and capital expenditure figures for 2002/03 are budget estimates.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Corpse Disposal

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to deal with the disposal of corpses contaminated by a (a) chemical, (b) biological, (c) radioactive and (d) nuclear attack.

John Denham: holding answer 21 November 2002
	Contingency plans for managing the consequences of attacks using chemical, biological and radiological material are in place and are regularly reviewed. These plans include arrangements for the efficient and sensitive handling of contaminated corpses, although the precise response would largely depend on the circumstances and scale of the incident. The Government do not reveal details of contingency arrangements relating to potential terrorist attacks for security reason.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Antisocial Behaviour Orders have been imposed in each of the last two years.

John Denham: The table shows the number of notifications reported to the Home Office of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued up to 30 June 2002 (latest available) within England and Wales.
	
		Number of Antisocial Behaviour Orders issued, as reported to the Home Office from1 April 1999 to 30 June 2002, England and Wales
		
			  From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000(32) From 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 From 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 From 1 January 2002 to 30 June 2002 Total 
		
		
			 ASBOs issued 104 134 293 123 654 
		
	
	(32) Total figure only available within this period.
	We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made locally have been consistently under-reported in returns made by magistrates courts, and are considering how reporting can be improved.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) practical and (b) procedural difficulties in relation to the imposition of Anti-social Behavioural Orders; and what remedial proposals he has.

John Denham: Legislative changes were introduced by the Police Reform Act to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). These changes, combined with the new guidance, will help to remedy some of the problems identified in the Home Office Review of ASBOs, published in April 2002. We are also working with the Local Chancellor's Department (LCD), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and others to ensure that the necessary training is given to magistrates, prosecutors and others involved in the process. We will continue to review the working of ASBOs in order to make them as streamline as possible.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued since their introduction in the Beaconsfield constituency.

John Denham: The table shows the number of notifications received by the Home Office of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs), issued within Buckinghamshire (in which the Beaconsfield constituency is situated) and by local government authority up to 30 June 2002 (latest available).
	We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made locally have been consistently under reported in returns made by magistrates courts, and are considering how reporting can be improved.
	
		Number of antisocial behaviour orders reported to the Home Office which have been issued as from 1 April 1999 to 30 June 2002 for Buckinghamshire by local government authority area
		
			 Area From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000(33) From 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2002 Total 
		
		
			 Police force area/MCC 
			 Thames Valley(34) 1 9 10 
			 Local government authority, county of Buckinghamshire 
			 Milton Keynes borough council (35)— 3 3 
			 Wycombe district council (35)— 2 2 
		
	
	(33) Total figure only available for Thames Valley police force area within this period. Local government authority not known.
	(34) Includes total figure for counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
	(35) Not available.

Child Curfew and Safety Orders

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) child curfew orders and (b) child safety orders there have been in each year since their introduction.

John Denham: Between February 2001, when curfew orders with electronic monitoring were extended to 10 to 15-year-olds, and 31 October 2002 the courts imposed 2,704 orders on young offenders of that age.
	Two child safety orders were issued in the areas in which they were piloted between September 1998 and June 2000.

Conviction Rates

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the conviction rate in Crown courts was in each year since 1992.

Hilary Benn: The information requested, for the years 1992 to 2000, is as follows:
	
		Conviction rate(36) at the Crown court in England and Wales, 1992 to 2000
		
			 Year Rate 
		
		
			  
			 1992 79.9 
			 1993 79.5 
			 1994 78.6 
			 1995 79.1 
			 1996 80.4 
			 1997 80.3 
			 1998 75.9 
			 1999 74.3 
			 2000 72.9 
		
	
	(36) Defendants convicted as a percentage of defendants for trial.
	Notes:
	The introduction of plea before venue from 1 October 1997 caused a greater number of guilty plea cases to be heard at magistrates courts.
	Statistics for 2001 will be available in December.

Criminal Records Bureau

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Criminal Records Bureau to be able to cope with demand sufficiently to implement the criminal record checks as part of the Protection of Vulnerable Adult lists.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 19 November 2002
	As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made clear on 4 November 2002 in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore), Official Report, column 99W, we shall introduce arrangements for Criminal Records Bureau checks against the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list at the earliest opportunity.

Illegal Camping

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the next guidance on managing illegal camping and travellers will be released.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The new joint Office of the Deputy Prime Minister/Home Office guidance on managing unauthorised camping by gypsies and other travellers will be issued by the new year.
	In order for the Government to strike up a balanced approach to unauthorised camping, the new guide will consist of two documents, Framework Guidance and detailed Operational Guidance, for use by local authorities, police services and both the settled and traveller communities.
	Consultation with key stakeholders will commence shortly.

Immigration

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department classes as purposeful activities as set out in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

Beverley Hughes: Section 29 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 provides the necessary powers to provide and fund purposeful activities for asylum seekers supported in accommodation centres.
	Such activities are likely to include training in English language, information technology and other skills training and volunteering. Other examples include sport, creative activities and practical activities like cookery or gardening. We do not intend to follow an unduly prescriptive approach to what constitutes a purposeful activity. The aim is to keep asylum seekers occupied; contribute towards a positive atmosphere in the centres; make time spent in the UK productive; and provide opportunities to develop useful skills. We want to allow room for local variation and innovation.

Offences

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) racially aggravated offences, (b) violent crime, (c) robbery of personal property and (d) drug offences were recorded in (i) Lancashire and (ii) the North West of England in (A) 1997, (B) 1998, (C) 1999, (D) 2000 and (E) 2001.

John Denham: The requested statistics are given in the following table.
	On 1 April 1998, there was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime, and an expansion of the offences covered. This resulted in an increase of crimes recorded by the police. Recorded crime figures before this date will therefore not be directly comparable.
	As Lancashire, Cumbria and Greater Manchester police forces implemented the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its national implementation in April 2002, the recorded crime figures for these areas cannot be directly compared with those for previous years. The affects of the Standard are explained in table footnote 4.
	
		Recorded crime: number of offences recorded from 1997 to 2001/02
		
			 Police force area/ offence 1997(37) 1997–98(38) 1998–99(39) 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(40) 
			 Lancashire   
		
		
			 Total racially aggravated offences(41) — — — 232 408 1,057 
			 Total violent crime(42) 5,550 5,718 12,183 11,615 13,870 18,535 
			 Robbery of personal property(43) — — 816 866 1,044 1,437 
			 Drug offences(44) 554 529 4,117 3,135 3,124 3,169 
			  
			 North West Region(45)   
			 Total racially aggravated offences(41) — — — 1,284 2,053 4,746 
			 Total violent crime(42) 46,224 50,503 87,033 93,029 95,940 106,892 
			 Robbery of personal property(43) — — 9,338 10,425 11,614 13,656 
			 Drug offences(44) 3,156 3,164 19,267 16,106 15,070 14,775 
		
	
	(37) Recorded on a calendar year basis.
	(38) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.
	(39) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	(40) Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Lancashire implemented the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of the national implementation date of April 2002. The 2000–01 and 2001–02 figures for these forces will be affected by the Standard. The NCRS and other changes to police recording practices, has had the estimated effect of increasing recorded crime statistics by at least 5 per cent. for 2001–02, which means the real increase of total recorded crime for 2001–02 is 2 per cent. compared to the published national total of 7 per cent. The impact will vary for different types of offence.
	(41) Racially aggravated offences became notifiable to the police on 1 April 1999. The offences covered are; other wounding, harassment, common assault, criminal damage to a dwelling, criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling, criminal damage to a vehicle and other criminal damage.
	(42) Violent crime is comprised of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	(43) Robbery of personal property was recorded separately (from total robbery) as from 1 April 1998.
	(44) Up until 1 April 1998, Trafficking in controlled drugs was the only drugs-related offence recorded. After this date the offence coverage was expanded to include more drugs-related offences.
	(45) The North West Region comprises the following police forces; Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

Police Numbers

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each police authority in Wales in each of the past five years; and what the target number of police officers in each police authority was in each of those years.

John Denham: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The information requested about police strength has been set out in the table. Targets for individual force strength are not collected centrally.
	
		Police Officer Strength
		
			 Year as at 31 March Dyfed-Powys Gwent North Wales South Wales 
		
		
			  
			 1998 1,002 1,233 1,396 2,986 
			 1999 1,026 1,247 1,391 2,981 
			 2000 1,040 1,264 1,403 2,926 
			 2001 1,055 1,274 1,444 3,154 
			 2002 1,132 1,333 1,506 3,222 
		
	
	
		Civilian Support Staff
		
			 Year as at 31 March Dyfed-Powys Gwent North Wales South Wales 
		
		
			  
			 1998 341 477 479 1,132 
			 1999 341 487 508 1,223 
			 2000 359 498 519 1,081 
			 2001 401 537 498 1,270 
			 2002 459 570 645 1,435 
		
	
	Source:
	Home Office Statistical Bulletins—Police Service Strength 1998–2002

Police Training

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the pass marks for each police entrance exam and physical test for each batch of recruits into police training colleges during (a) 1997 and (b) 2001.

John Denham: holding answer 25 November 2002
	The 1997 information is no longer available. The 2001 information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.